| Alsek River | |
|---|---|
 Confluence of the Alsek and Tatshenshini rivers | |
  Location of the mouth of the Alsek River in Alaska | |
| Location | |
| Countries |
|
| State | Alaska |
| Territory | Yukon |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Kluane National Park and Reserve |
| • location | Yukon |
| • coordinates | 60°38′46″N 137°48′26″W / 60.64611°N 137.80722°W |
| • elevation | 562 m (1,844 ft) |
| Mouth | Pacific Ocean |
• location | Dry Bay, Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska, Alaska |
• coordinates | 59°7′40″N 138°37′14″W / 59.12778°N 138.62056°W[1] |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 290 km (180 mi) |
| Basin size | 28,023 km2 (10,820 sq mi)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 862.6 m3/s (30,460 cu ft/s)[2] |
Alsek River (/ˈælˌsɛk/; Tlingit Aalseix̱' ) is a wilderness river flowing from Yukon into Northern British Columbia and into Alaska.[3] It enters the Gulf of Alaska at Dry Bay.
Most of the Alsek River's basin is within protected wilderness areas and National Parks.[2] The Alsek and its main tributary, the Tatshenshini River, are part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2]
In the year 2016, the Alsek River captured the flow of the Slims River due to the retreat of Kaskawulsh Glacier.[4] Researchers attributed the change in flow to human-caused climate change; this was the first time human-caused climate change was implicated in the reorganization of a river.[5]
Research indicates that in a few decades, Alsek River may further change its final course. The rapidly retreating Grand Plateau Glacier separates Alsek River and lake from nearby Grand Plateau Lake. Geologists predict that when the two lakes merge, Alsek River will abandon its current outlet in favour of the steeper way to the ocean through Grand Plateau Lake and a small embankment, moving its outlet some 17 miles (27 km) to the southeast, within the confines of Glacier Bay National Park. [6][7][8]
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alsek River
- ^ a b c d Benke, Arthur C.; Cushing, Colbert E. (2011). Rivers of North America. Academic Press. p. 771. ISBN 978-0-08-045418-4.
- ^ "Alsek River". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ Retreating Yukon glacier makes river disappear, CBC News Posted: Jun 17, 2016
- ^ Mooney, Chris (2017-04-17). "For the first time on record, human-caused climate change has rerouted an entire river - Chicago Tribune". www.chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-17.
- ^ Loso, Michael G.; Larsen, Christopher F.; Tober, Brandon S.; Christoffersen, Michael; Fahnestock, Mark; Holt, John W.; Truffer, Martin (2021-07-01). "Quo vadis, Alsek? Climate-driven glacier retreat may change the course of a major river outlet in southern Alaska". Geomorphology. 384: 107701. Bibcode:2021Geomo.38407701L. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107701. ISSN 0169-555X.
- ^ "The impacts of glacier retreat and landscape change (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
- ^ Leasia, Henry (15 April 2021). "Glacier Bay's Alsek River predicted to shift course within a few decades due to climate change". KTOO. Retrieved 18 September 2021.