| Delta River | |
|---|---|
 Delta River | |
  Location of the mouth of the Delta River in Alaska | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Copper River, Southeast Fairbanks |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Tangle Lakes |
| • location | Amphitheater Mountains, Alaska Range, Copper River Census Area |
| • coordinates | 63°09′14″N 145°56′54″W / 63.15389°N 145.94833°W[1] |
| • elevation | 2,823 ft (860 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Tanana River |
• location | Big Delta, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area |
• coordinates | 64°09′19″N 145°51′35″W / 64.15528°N 145.85972°W[1] |
• elevation | 984 ft (300 m)[1] |
| Length | 80 mi (130 km)[1] |
| Type | Wild, Scenic, Recreational |
| Designated | December 2, 1980 |
The Delta River is an 80-mile (130 km) tributary of the Tanana River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] Its name in the Ahtna language is Saas Na’ [pronunciation?]. Fed by the Tangle Lakes of the Alaska Range, the river flows north to meet the larger river near Big Delta.[3] It is older than the Alaska Range, being formed before their uplift 30 million years ago.[4]
In 1980, 62 miles (100 km) of waterways in the Delta River basin, including all of the Tangle Lakes and the main stem to within 0.5 miles (0.8 km) of Black Rapids became part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Of this, 20 miles (32 km) are designated "wild", 24 miles (39 km) "scenic", and 18 miles (29 km) "recreational".[5]
- ^ a b c d e "Delta River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. March 31, 1981. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- ^ Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
- ^ Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2010. pp. 96, 106, 116. ISBN 978-0-89933-289-5.
- ^ Connor, Cathy (2014). Roadside Geology of Alaska (2nd ed.). Missoula, Montana USA: Mountain Press Publishing Company. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-87842-619-5.
- ^ "Delta River, Alaska". National Wild and Scenic Rivers. Retrieved October 27, 2013.