Chitina River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Alaska |
Census Area | Copper River |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Chitina Glacier |
• location | Saint Elias Mountains, Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve |
• coordinates | 60°51′40″N 141°24′01″W / 60.86111°N 141.40028°W[1] |
• elevation | 3,507 ft (1,069 m)[2] |
Mouth | Copper River |
• location | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of Chitina; 66 miles (106 km) northeast of Valdez, Chugach Mountains |
• coordinates | 61°29′50″N 144°25′10″W / 61.49722°N 144.41944°W[1] |
• elevation | 466 ft (142 m)[1] |
Length | 274 km (170 mi)[1] |
Basin size | 21,800 km2 (8,400 sq mi) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Kiagna River, Tana River, Chakina River, Tebay River |
• right | Short River, Clear Stream, Nizina River, Lakina River, Gilahina River, Kuskulana River |
The Chitina River (Ahtna Athabascan Tsedi Na’ [tʃɛ.diː.näʔ] < tsedi "copper" + na’ "river")[3] is a 274 km (170 mi) tributary of the Copper River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] It begins in the Saint Elias Mountains at the base of Chitina Glacier and flows generally northwest through the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve to meet the smaller river[4] near Chitina.[5] The watershed was once a major copper mining region.[6]