Sheenjek River

Sheenjek River
Country United States
State Alaska
Districts North Slope Borough, Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area
Source Brooks Range
 - location slightly south of the Continental Divide, North Slope Borough
 - elevation 6,079 ft (1,853 m) [1]
 - coordinates 69°01′53″N 144°00′40″W / 69.03139°N 144.01111°W / 69.03139; -144.01111 [2]
Mouth Porcupine River [2]
 - location 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Fort Yukon, Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
 - elevation 446 ft (136 m) [2]
 - coordinates 66°44′23″N 144°34′01″W / 66.73972°N 144.56694°W / 66.73972; -144.56694Coordinates: 66°44′23″N 144°34′01″W / 66.73972°N 144.56694°W / 66.73972; -144.56694 [2]
Length 200 mi (322 km) [3]
Location of the mouth of the Sheenjek River in Alaska

The Sheenjek River is a 200-mile (320 km) tributary of the Porcupine River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[3] It begins in the eastern part of the Brooks Range and flows southward to meet the larger river northeast of Fort Yukon.[2]

Its name derives from the Gwich'in word "khiinjik," meaning "dog-salmon river"."[4] Explorer J.H. Turner called it the Salmon River.[3]

In the United States, the geographic location most remote from human trails, roads, or settlements is found here, at the headwaters of the Sheenjek River.

Boating

The Sheenjek is suitable for boating by wide variety of watercraft between June and late September. The upper river is rated mostly Class II (medium) on the International Scale of River Difficulty, while the lower half of the river is Class I (easy). However, just after rainstorms, the river can suddenly rise and become more difficult.[5]

Dangers on the upper river include shallow, extremely braided channels, and aufeis. Overhanging vegetation and submerged logs pose risks along the entire course, as do bears along the lower reaches in late summer and early fall.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sheenjek River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. March 31, 1981. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Orth, Donald J.; United States Geological Survey (1971) [1967]. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names: Geological Survey Professional Paper 567 (PDF). University of Alaska Fairbanks. United States Government Printing Office. p. 861. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  4. ↑ Bright, William. Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 437. ISBN 0-8061-3576-X.
  5. 1 2 Jettmar, Karen (2008) [1993]. The Alaska River Guide: Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting in the Last Frontier (3rd ed.). Birmingham, Alabama: Menasha Ridge Press. pp. 135–37. ISBN 978-0-89732-957-6.
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