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Alagnak Wild River
An
An Illustrated
Illustrated Guide
Guide to
to the
the Cultural
Cultural History
History
of the
the Alagnak
Alagnak Wild
Wild River
River
of
Purpose and Use of Guide
People of the area have used the Alagnak River and its natural resources for many hundreds of
years. Evidence of prehistoric settlements, historic fish camps and cabins, as well as an
abandoned contact-era village with a Russian Orthodox Church and cemetery, dot the landscape.
The combination of natural and cultural resources represents an invaluable part of our shared
heritage. The purpose of this guide is to help visitors appreciate and enjoy the Alagnak’s
distinctive cultural history. This guide is not intended for navigational use.
A circa 1912 John Thwaites photograph of a
Yup’ik cache on Nushagak Bay, perhaps near
Snag Point (modern-day Dillingham). The
cache was made of hand hewn white spruce
logs with square notched corners and a sod
roof. Photo courtesy of John Thwaites
Collection-0132-549, Special Collection
Division, University of Washington Libraries.
Facing page: Elbert E. Sargent prospecting
along the Alagnak in 1947. Photo courtesy
of Joanne E. Sargent-Wolverton.
i
The
Alagnak Wild River
The Alagnak Wild River meanders through a unique landscape of open tundra, spruce forests,
and dramatic canyon walls. Established as a Wild River in 1980, the Alagnak is rich in cultural
history, physical beauty, and natural resources. Here, evidence of past and present people
intermingles along the banks of rolling tundra and among diverse populations of fish and wildlife.
Today, the Alagnak is used by visitors and residents for recreational and subsistence activitiesprimarily fishing and angling, camping, gathering, rafting, paddling, and hunting. Whichever
activity you choose, the Alagnak River provides a rare opportunity to connect with history and the
surrounding landscape. So fasten your life-vest and get ready to enjoy the Alagnak Wild River!
1
Midriver braided channel.
The
River
The Alagnak is a clear free-flowing river that drains an area of 3,600 square kilometers (2,237 square
miles) and empties into the Kvichak River near Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska. The river and its
major tributary, the Nonvianuk River, flow westward from lakes located within Katmai National Park and
Preserve. Headwaters of the 127 kilometer (km or 79 miles [mi]) long river and its tributary are Kukaklek
and Nonvianuk Lakes, respectively. The Alagnak is managed free of impoundments and diversions. It is
inaccessible by road, its shorelines are primitive, and its water unpolluted.
In the local language the word alagnak means, “making mistakes.” According to a life-long area resident,
“the channel is always changing, causing mistakes and getting lost.” Every year the river changes and
branches which is why it is known locally as “the Branch River.” The Yup’ik people pronounced Alagnak
as “Ah-lock-anok.” Euroamericans anglicized its pronunciation as Lockanok. The Alagnak River was first
documented by the Russian Captain Tebenkov in 1852.
2
River
Designation
The upper 108 km (67 mi) of the Alagnak, including
the two upper branches, were designated a Wild
River in 1980 by Title VI, Section 601(25 and 44) of
the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
(ANILCA) and is managed by the National Park
Service (NPS) according to the provisions of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. All
but the lower 29 km (18 mi) of the river have been
designated Wild River status.
The NPS manages the River to:
Protect and enhance the River as a dynamic
ecosystem by maintaining its free flowing
nature and preserving water quality,
Preserve the outstanding natural values on the
River that include its natural channels and
flow, naturally occurring fish and wildlife
populations, cultural resources, and its
peaceful and scenic character for the benefit
and enjoyment of future generations, and
Preserve the outstanding values on the River of
subsistence and recreation that are
compatible with the other values for which
the River was designated.
Marsh marigold
Land
Ownership
Land ownership along the river is a checkerboard of
public and private property; therefore, river users
should not assume that every “pull-out” is open to
public use. There are currently no established
campgrounds. It is recommended that river users
consult a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land
status map to ensure property rights are observed.
3
Prehistoric
Past
Ice from the last Ice Age
receded from the Alagnak River
drainage well before 12,000
years ago.
Pottery made of local clay and tempered
with hair or down, and later with sand or
gravel, is common in sites on the Alaska
Peninsula beginning 2,500 years ago.
Present day
2,200 b.p.
9,000 b.p.
12,000 b.p.
Cultural evidence of people who occupied the
river banks and lake outlets since the last ice
age, is found on the surface of the glacial drift
and outwash deposits at the lake outlets. Some
evidence of camp sites near the headwaters
may be as much as 9,000 years old.
4
2,500 b.p.
Most of the village sites along the banks
of the Alagnak are less than 2,200 years
old. The reconstructed ceramic vessel
(shown above) from Alagnak site DIL161 has a flat-bottom and is 7.5 inches
high. It is about 2,100 years old.
Prehistoric
Past
The human history of the Alagnak Wild River drainage is a rich and complex story that is beginning to
unfold through the combined efforts of Native residents, archeologists, historians, and ethnographers.
The story begins sometime after the close of the last great Ice Age 14,000 years ago, when glacial ice
receded from the region and plants, animals, and finally early Americans colonized the pristine landscape
over a period of some millennia. Archeologists don’t know who the first people were to see this landscape
or when they first set foot here. We will never know what language they spoke or what their belief
systems were, yet, we can learn about aspects of their lives from the remains of their camps. Their traces
are extremely rare and fragile. We ask that you help us protect these resources by leaving the ground or
objects you might find undisturbed.
At the headwaters of the Alagnak, archeologists have found the remains of small camps whose occupants
must have practiced a mixed economy of hunting, gathering, and probably some fishing. Based on the
tools left behind (which are similar to those that have been radiocarbon dated elsewhere) people probably
used these camps about 9,000 years ago. Stone tools they expertly fashioned from carefully prepared
cores include long thin blades of varying sizes (shown below). Side-notched points
found in the same area were hafted or fastened to spears and launched using a
throwing board or atlatl by caribou hunters as early as 7,000 years ago.
Microblade cores at near right
and microblades at far right.
6
Private Land Boundary
Although we know that the area must certainly have been occupied, there is up to a 5,000 year gap in the
archeological record along the Alagnak Wild River until the settlement of winter villages about 2,300
years ago. Recent archeological investigations at one of these villages have shown that the large size
and extent of the settlement results from a series of separate occupations spanning 1,100 years (see
map below). This was a time of rapid and unpredictable climatic and cultural change, beginning with a
widespread cold snap when houses were correspondingly large, single-roomed, multifamily dwellings
heated by a central hearth. The use of outdoor, underground cold storage caches was probably adopted
at this time. Occupation continued at this site through a warm spike called the Medieval Warm Period
and ended at the beginning of another cold period called the Little Ice Age. Remains of small chipped
stone points indicate that the bow and arrow replaced the use of darts and the atlatl during this period
(see page 8).
Severe erosion of the streambank fronting site DIL-161
makes this one of the most
threatened sites along the
Alagnak corridor.
Prehistoric Feature
Prehistoric Feature
(boundary indistinct)
Historic Feature
1 Meter Contour
2004 Excavation
DIL-161 Archeological Site
site datum
Ala
gn
ak
Riv
er
DIL-161 Archeological Site
0
10
20 meters
Lake Clark Katmai Studies Center
National Park Service, October 2004
Data Source, National Park Service GIS
B. Bundy
their bounty through the winter, and supplement
their stores by ice fishing and trapping smaller
mammals like beavers. Maybe the short winter days
were passed by sewing clothing, making tools and
mending nets, and the long nights spent dancing
and socializing in their snug, sturdy homes.
An archeologist, who braved isolation and a cold
rainy summer in a tent to investigate this site in
2004, was impressed by the contrasting comfort
that prehistoric villagers must have experienced in
their well-built homes. She wrote:
The past people could catch salmon in the
summer, either with a net across the river, or by
traveling up to the lakes and spearing or trapping
the fish in shallow water. In the fall, the berries are
ready for picking, and the caribou are migrating
through. A family that dried or smoked [or froze]
salmon, berries and caribou meat could feast on
8
The Alagnak River corridor was not abandoned
during the Little Ice Age, which ended about 150
years ago. Archeologists have recorded camps and
villages all along the Alagnak that were used during
the last cold period and through the time of contact
with Russian traders and missionaries. The
Alagnak Wild River drainage was a homeland to
Native people until the late nineteenth century
when they moved to new settlements for
commercial opportunities.
Above: Archeologists
working at site DIL-161
along the Alagnak River.
Right: Small arrow point.
Region
Region
Map
L. Brooks
L.
Br
oo
ks
79
Overview
Alagnak Wild River - Katmai National Park and Preserve
Levelock
Kvichak River
Hallersville
10
Katmai Boundary
Alagnak Wild River
Private Land
Kukaklek Lake
Katmai Boundary
Alagnak River
Nonvianuk River
Confluence
Nonvianuk Lake
Katmai Boundary
11
Koggiung village orphans during the
summer of 1919 on the lower Kvichak River.
The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic was first
noticed at Koggiung on May 23, 1919 and
raged until June 16th, killing 39 people and
leaving 16 orphans. Sisters, Nina Klein
Kraun and Mary Klein Kraun, are second
and third from left, respectively. Annie
Klein Aspelund is probably fourth from left.
Photo courtesy of Vickie Herrmann.
Portrait of
Traditional Lifestyle
A diversity of ethnic groups now comprises the communities in the Bristol Bay, Alagnak, and Illiamna
regions. At contact Native residents were Alutiiq and Central Yup’ik speakers. People lived in small,
closely-knit kinship-based communities and shared a similar lifestyle of subsistence hunting, fishing, and
trapping. Hardships of weather, isolation, and a significant lack of modern conveniences bound
communities together. Marriages, which were arranged by parents, usually depended on social status
and were matriarchal in nature. Arranged marriages continued into the early part of the 20th century and
served in part to enhance economic opportunities and to maintain strong familial ties with neighboring
villages.
12
Games were also an important aspect of life. Though fun and entertaining, games were considered
excellent preparation of youngsters for life on the river. “Congregations of children and adults usually
resulted in some kind of competition.” Kayak races were particularly popular.
Dancing, singing, and story-telling further connected people to their communities and to their ancestors.
Folktales tell of many strange beings that still inhabit the area, though rarely spoken about today. One
traditional story often retold was that of the Little People. These magical creatures were believed to
change forms, move mountains, and dwell in tall grassy meadows. However friendly, they were thought
to capture humans and keep them for what appeared to be a short period of time while in reality many
decades of the person’s life may have passed. Another popular legend was that of a giant pike that
inhabited the waters of Nonvianuk Lake chasing residents crossing the lake in their moose hide canoes.
Spring beaver trapping along the Alagnak
River in 1938-1939. From left to right: Vivian
O’Neill, an unidentified woman, Eau Andrew,
John Knutsen, and two unidentified boys. The
Knutsen and Andrew families lived on the
Alagnak River and summered on the Kvichak
River. Photo courtesy of Alex Tallekpalek.
Headwaters of Alagnak River at Kukaklek Lake
0
11.5 km
Kukaklek Lake
The river kilometers provided
above are approximate figures.
From the Kukaklek Lake outlet to the Canyon (p. 16) the first
9.5 km (about 6 mi) flow slowly through rolling tundra. As the
river enters the valley it becomes increasingly narrow and
eventually hemmed in by a vertical rock wall canyon. In this
section, the valley and canyon are densely covered by white
spruce forest.
14
Salmon are traditionally dried on fish racks
constructed with white spruce poles and an
assortment of driftwood.
In late May or early June, residents hunted
beluga whales in Bristol Bay. Bird eggs,
sourdock, wild celery, and fiddlehead ferns
were gathered for personal consumption. In
summer, fish were caught for smoking,
drying and freezing for the winter. In the
past, fish were even stored in underground
pits for the preparation of fermented fish
heads, a local delicacy. This practice has
largely been discontinued due to the risk of
botulism. As colder weather approached,
residents collected salmon berries, blackThe
traditional
subsistence
fish harvest
berries
(also known
as crowberries)
andconsisted primarily of salmon and blackfish. Blackfish were often
caught
usingfor
handmade
traps
constructed
blueberries
winter use.
Moose,
caribou,of thin strips of wood tied to boiled spruce roots. The trap was
designed
such
a wayafter
that the
fishanimals
could swim
and bear in
were
hunted
had in freely but not out. Salmon were harvested and cured
seasonally
at fish
camps.
Harvesting
wild salmon at fish camps is still an important subsistence activity of
grown fat from
a brief
season
of plentiful
many
local
residents.
food. In
winter,
smelt, trout, and grayling
were harvested by ice fishing.
15
The Canyon
River speeds pick up to 11-13 kph
(7-8 mph) as the canyon becomes
progressively deeper
(up to 200 feet).
Visitors can expect between
Class I - Class III rapids at the
heart of the canyon. During
average water levels, the rocky
rapids are generally negotiable in
a 12-13 foot raft.
11.5 km
23 km
The upper Alagnak is not recommended
for inexperienced rafters or small rafts,
especially during high water conditions.
A boat cannot be lined-through these
rapids; however it is possible, although
difficult, to portage by ascending the
gorge.
16
Subsistence trapping was also an important activity. Mink, otter, martin, beaver, fox, wolf, lynx, wolverine,
rabbit, weasel, and squirrel were trapped for their furs. Furs may have been sold outright or used for
clothing. Today some trapping still occurs to supplement income by selling furs to lodges
and tourists.
The abundance of large game species such as moose has increased over the last century, perhaps due
to changes in vegetation. Historic subsistence hunting of moose was much more difficult as this species
was once less common. In the event that a moose was harvested, the hunter would construct a kayak on
site using the fresh hide (as well as some wolverine) to transport the meat. Assembling a kayak in this
manner usually took two to three days to complete. Although kayak building was an exhaustive
undertaking, in this case the benefits were twofold: the hunter was assured of food and transportation.
Kayaking was the primary means of transportation during open water. Dogsleds were used in the winter
once the river was frozen.
This photo taken in the 1930s shows
one moose hide boat in the foreground
and a two-hatch kayak, as well as a
plank skiff in the background.
Confluence of Alagnak and Nonvianuk Rivers
Several kilometers before the confluence
with the Nonvianuk, the floodplain widens
and the bluffs diminish in elevation.
Alagnak River
35 km
23 km
Confluence
Nonvianuk River
18
Thimbleberry
a3
The
20th Century
In 1900 the North Alaska Salmon Company built two canneries near the junction of the Alagnak and
Kvichak Rivers. The cannery at the river mouth became known as Lockanok and the other cannery, 1000
feet upstream on the Kvichak River, was called Hallerville, in honor of J.P. Haller, president of the
company. The two canneries were connected by a narrow gauge railroad that brought salmon from
Hallerville to be processed at the Lockanok plant.
The Alagnak River was not only used by Yup’ik people from the Kvichak River but also from the Nushagak
and even Yukon and Kuskokwim drainages, a testament of its rich subsistence resources during the
historic period. In addition, availability of commercial fishing jobs at Kvichak canneries also attracted
subsistence users from as far away as the Yukon River. Cash income from the commercial salmon
industry allowed Alagnak subsistence users to purchase more store-bought food, such as coffee, tea,
sugar, and salt.
The Libby, McNeill and Libby cannery at
Lockanok was built in 1900 at the mouth of
the Alagnak River by the North Alaska
Salmon Company from San Francisco.
The cannery reportedly burned in 1937.
Photo circa 1920-1930.
Headwaters of Nonvianuk River
9 km
The 17.5 km (about 11 mi) from Nonvianuk Lake
outlet to the confluence are characterized by
Class I rapids with moderately swift 8 kph
(5 mph) single-channeled flat water.
During low water conditions Class II rapids
may be encountered 6.5-8 km (4-5 mi)
from the lake outlet.
Royal Wolf Lodge
Nonvianuk Lake
0
NPS Ranger cabin
Nonvianuk River
20
Facing page: This photo shows Okalina
Nelson, Pat Andrew, and John Nelson (from
left to right) at Eau Andrew’s house on the
Branch River or at Levelock, circa 1940.
Many frame houses on the lower Alagnak and
Kvichak Rivers were constructed of salvaged
lumber from abandoned canneries.
some were above ground log houses. Branch River
village was the last historic settlement on the river
and was abandoned by the 1960s. It was located
about 4.8 km (3 mi) above the Alagnak-Kvichak
confluence on the north side of the river. Some of
the families who lived at the village or who were
dispersed along the river were: the Andrews, the
Chukwoks, the Tallekpaleks, the Apokedaks, the
O’Neills, the Frenchie Brooks, Lars Olson, the Guy
“Sonny” Groat, Jr. family, and the George
Petersons. Previously, Peterson, a crack marksman, had worked for Father Bernard Hubbard in his
explorations around the Alaska Peninsula. The
Branch River was the site of the Saint Innocent
Russian Orthodox church, which was last visited by
a priest from Newhalen in the 1950s.
Historically there had been many villages and
cabins at various locations on the Alagnak River,
including near the forks of the Alagnak and
Nonvianuk Rivers and another village known as
“Sleepy Town” on the right side downstream from
the forks. Apparently, some of the houses in these
settlements were traditional semi-subterranean and
Another small historic community, Lockanok, was
located about one and a half miles up river from the
Lockanok cannery. Lockanok village consisted of a
few Euroamerican fishermen who also trapped and
prospected and who built framed houses made
from salvaged cannery lumber and sided with sheet
iron.
21
Confluence of Alagnak and Nonvianuk Rivers
Alagnak River
9 km
Area of confluence
18.5 km
Nonvianuk River
Approximately 11.5 km (about 7 mi)
from the headwaters of Nonvianuk
Lake, the Nonvianuk River joins the
Alagnak River at the confluence.
Blue flag iris
22
Pomela Benet Fischer or “Yukon Pom” (19201991) with her son, Jerry Benet, near Branch
River village in 1947. Pomela was born on the
lower Kuskokwim River at Old Napaimiut to a
Yup’ik mother and French Canadian father.
Pomela was a lifelong subsistence gatherer
who was known for her excellent smoked
salmon and dog teams. Photo courtesy of
Joanne E. Sargent-Wolverton.
Information from local Native elders has revealed that the Lockanok village site contains a mass grave of
Spanish flu epidemic victims. The adult population of two nearby Kvichak villages, Koggiung and
Kaskanak were also decimated by the Spanish flu of 1919.
Some of the men who lived at the village were Martin Monsen, Jr., Simeon Larson, Charlie Olson,
Frenchy Rosseau and his son Oscar Rosseau, Harry Langord, and Billy Gleason. The Canadian-born
Rosseau frequently prospected the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Katmai National Monument and
the Irish-born Gleason had long been a Portage Creek, Lake Clark placer gold miner since about 1913.
The Euroamericans copied their Native neighbors in dividing their time in seasonal economic pursuits:
trapping in the fall and winter, cannery work in the spring, and commercial fishing in the summer.
23
Beyond the Confluence
Islands Abound! In the 21 km (13 mi) below
the confluence, islands become numerous
and there are generally one or two obvious
main channels.
35 km
Alagnak River
43 km
35 km
The river section shown above
starts 22 km (13.5 mi) from the
outlet of Kukaklek Lake and approximately 1.5-2 km (about 1 mi) past
the confluence of the Alagnak and
the Nonvianuk Rivers (see inset).
24
Alagnak
Nonvianuk
Confluence area from page 18.
In 1916 Libby, McNeill & Libby purchased both the
Lockanok and Hallerville canneries from the North
Alaska Salmon Company. Kvichak River erosion
and shifting channels rendered Hallerville
inoperable in the early twentieth century but the
Lockanok cannery ran until 1936 when a change in
the Kvichak channel made it impossible to operate
economically and much of the plant burned in 1937.
Subsequently, much of the usable cannery lumber
was salvaged and used for homes in the nearby
Kvichak River village of Levelock. Salvage efforts
were so thorough that entire buildings were moved
over the ice of the frozen Kvichak River to
Levelock.
Lockanok cannery was built in 1900 by the North Alaska
Salmon Company near the confluence of the Alagnak and
Kvichak Rivers. Photo courtesy of Violet Willson.
25
Alagnak River
50 km
43 km
Alaska Trophy Adventure Lodge
Alaskan brown bear-a possible sighting.
26
One of the most significant historical events in Bristol Bay history occurred in June 1927 when pilot
Russell Merrill of Anchorage Air Transport flew a Travel Air to Lockanok cannery marking the first airplane
landing in the Bristol Bay region. This was a transformative event that would effectively lead to a new era
of air transport for this formerly inaccessible region.
By the 1960s and early 1970s all the Alagnak families had left Branch River village for nearby
communities of Levelock, Igiugig, Kokhanok, and Naknek. The modern world with all its opportunities
and pressures had intruded on isolated Branch River village. Since children were now required to attend
school most families moved to Levelock where the closest school existed.
A view upstream along the intertwining channels of the Alagnak
River at a popular ending point for
rafters. Photo courtesy of Janet
Curran, United States Geological
Survey (USGS).
Braided Water
58 km
50 km
The next 24 km (15 mi) of the river are braided.
Selecting a main channel and avoiding “sweepers”
in this section requires constant attention and
quick maneuvering.
28
Presently, Natives from surrounding villages, many
with deep roots on the river, use the Alagnak for
subsistence hunting, fishing, and trapping
activities. In addition, there are a number of
lodges on the Alagnak and a great amount of sport
fishing effort.
Big game guide Bud Branham stated that he had
guided hunters and sport fishermen on the Alagnak
as early as 1937. New York sportsman and writer,
Dan Holland, writing in the April 1941 issue of Field
& Stream magazine, probably made the first
mention of the Alagnak River as a great trophy
rainbow trout stream. Sport fishing on the Alagnak
dates mostly from the post WWII era. The major
guides of this era were Bud and Dennis Branham,
John Walatka, Ed Seiler, Sonny Groat, Jay
Hammond, and Dean Paddock of King Salmon in
the 1960s. Hammond first saw the Alagnak River
when he flew to Nonvianuk Lake with guide Bud
Branham to visit Bill Hammersley in 1946 or 1947.
Between 1940 and 1945, Rufus Knox “Bill”
Hammersley and his wife Margaret constructed a
cabin, cache, and root cellar near the outlet of
Nonvianuk Lake. A resident of Alaska since 1926,
Small islands and gravel bars dot the Alagnak upstream
from the Braids. Photo courtesy of Janet Curran, USGS.
Bill fished in Bristol Bay, worked as a manager of
the nearby Northern Consolidated Airlines camp,
and trapped, hunted, and guided throughout the
area. In 1957 Hammond had an arrangement with
John Tallekpalek to use his cabin while guiding
sport fishermen on the Alagnak River. Bob Cusack
established the first lodge, a restored cannery
galley-scow that was towed up the Alagnak from
Naknek about 1973.
29
Braided Water
65.5 km
Estrada’s
Camp
77 km
30
Brackets indicate general
pull-out area.
Most rafting parties complete their trip near
Estrada’s Camp (also known as the
Cutbank), or Grassy Point which is private
property, and should either arrange for
pick-up on the opposite side of the river or
downstream.
58 km
A variety of wildlife, including cranes,
gather in and along the river to feed.
65.5 km
31
Structures
Historic
The cabins that appear along the Alagnak were generally used by trappers or subsistence hunters.
Traditionally, a few of these cabins were considered “open” to passers-by, if unoccupied by the rightful
owner, with an understanding that the cabin would be left as it was found. However, evidence of
vandalism has taken its toll on these historic structures. In particular, dismantling cabins for firewood has
become a serious threat the future of some structures. Please explore and enjoy historic sites but leave
them as you have found them. We all share the responsibility of protecting and preserving important
cultural resources for others to enjoy.
Mary’s Camp along the Alagnak
River. Clumps of vegetation slide
down the eroding bank as the river
moves closer to these historic
structures. Photo courtesy of Janet
Curran, USGS.
32
Heating rocks outside a steambath on an open
fire before taking them into the bath at left.
Photo circa 1920s -1930s at Branch River.
Preservation
What are prehistoric, historic, and/or
archeological remains?
Sites are places where people lived, camped,
or conducted other activity.
Graves, marked or unmarked, are the locations
of human remains and may be Native or
non-native.
Deposits are accumulations of refuse in and
around a dwelling place. Typically, these
deposits consist of shell fragments, fish
bones, animal bones, charcoal, broken
tools, fire-cracked rocks, tin cans, or other
household debris.
Structures, ruins, and buildings are such things
as cabins, cabin foundations, aircraft,
boats, fish weirs, drive lines or fences,
semi-subterranean house depressions, or
cache pits.
Artifacts typically consist of tools and
household items (made of wood, bone,
ivory, stone, metal, glass, or plastic), art
objects, and pottery (including Native
made).
Fossils are any remains, impressions, or other
trace of an animal or plant that was once
buried and may now look rock-like.
33
The Cutbank to the Corridor’s End
From the vicinity of Estrada’s Camp the character of the
river changes. The last 19 km (12 mi) of the designated
Alagnak Wild River Corridor flow through several large
channels and make finding a route much less difficult.
Branch River Lodge
101.5 km
34
89 km
77 km
Katmai Lodge
89 km
The delicate Single Delight
may be seen growing along the river.
35
Protection of
Cultural Resources
Please observe and enjoy but do not touch, move, collect, or otherwise disturb artifacts, cultural
sites, or paleontological materials (fossils). If you find cultural material or fossils:
Record the location on a map or make a sketch map referencing prominent landmarks.
Take compass bearings or note general compass orientation.
Estimate site size.
Photograph the artifacts or fossils in place. Include an object for scale. Photograph the site area
and the surrounding landscape.
Note any human or natural disturbances to the site.
Report any information to either address below:
Cultural Resources Manager
National Park Service
240 West 5th Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
907/271-1383 (until 12/2005)
36
Chief Ranger
Katmai National Park & Preserve
P.O. Box 7
King Salmon, Alaska 99613
907/246-3305
Safeguarding Cultural Resources
The unauthorized collection or destruction of cultural resources (any historic, prehistoric, or archeological)
or paleontological [fossil] resources on lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government is prohibited
by law and may carry serious criminal (felony) and civil penalties. Do not dig impromptu privies or fire pits
that may disturb buried cultural deposits.
Respect Private Property
Although the National Park Service administers the Alagnak Wild River there are many parcels of private
property along the river corridor. Some owners have marked their property with “No Trespassing” signs;
others have not. It is important to know where you can legally camp. All cabin sites should be considered
private property. Visitors should obtain a BLM land status map intended for navigational purposes to
insure that you do not trespass or camp on private property.
According to local resident, “Auntie”
Roehl, this photo was taken at Diamond J, (Alaska Packers Association)
cannery at Koggiung on the Kvichak
River. Some individuals in the photo
include: Maxie”Black Maxie” Evan (at
left), Mary Newyaka (center) holding
her first baby (a girl) with her first
husband, Boukawal.
Alagnak River
101.5 km
118 km
Fiddlehead ferns-a traditional subsistence f ood.
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Impact of
Erosion
One of the greatest threats to archeological sites along the riverbank is erosion. Erosion of riverbanks
from river currents and waves is a natural process. However, increased wave action due to motorboats
has become a serious concern over the years with an increase in park visitation. Actively eroding and
denuded riverbanks are especially vulnerable to further wave action as high banks composed of loose
sand and gravel are undercut. Visitors using motorboats can help reduce continued erosion by
significantly slowing their craft in areas where erosion is evident.
Eroding riverbanks threaten important
cultural resources. Reducing motorboat
speed can help protect streambanks from
further damage. Photo courtesy of Janet
Curran, USGS.
39
Confluence with the Kvickak River
Kvichak River
Alagnak River
118 km
127 km
Rafters enjoy a wide channel downstream
from the Cutbank, approximately 85 river
kilometers (53 mi) from the mouth.
Photo courtesy of Janet Curran, USGS.
40
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Katmai National Park and Preserve/
Alagnak Wild River
P.O. Box 7
King Salmon, Alaska 99613
The Lake Clark-Katmai Studies Center, established in 1999, is a research and curatorial facility for the
museum collections of Katmai National Park and Preserve, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
and the Alagnak Wild River. The center supports the Cultural Resource Program for these parks with
responsibilities that include stewardship of historic buildings, museum collections, archeological sites,
cultural landscapes, oral and written histories, and ethnographic resources.
Our mission is to identify, evaluate, and preserve the cultural resources of the park areas and to bring an
understanding of these resources to the public. Congress has mandated that we preser