Ivishak River

Ivishak River
Upper Ivishak River Valley
Ivishak River is located in Alaska
Ivishak River
Location of the mouth of the Ivishak River in Alaska
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
BoroughNorth Slope
Physical characteristics
SourcePhilip Smith Mountains
 • locationBrooks Range
 • coordinates68°34′25″N 147°16′43″W / 68.57361°N 147.27861°W / 68.57361; -147.27861[1]
 • elevation5,258 ft (1,603 m)[2]
MouthSagavanirktok River
 • location
55 miles (89 km) south of Prudhoe Bay[1]
 • coordinates
69°29′55″N 148°30′22″W / 69.49861°N 148.50611°W / 69.49861; -148.50611[1]
 • elevation
538 ft (164 m)[1]
Length95 mi (153 km)[1]
TypeWild
DesignatedDecember 2, 1980

The Ivishak River /ˈvʃɑːk/ is a 95-mile (153 km) tributary of the Sagavanirktok River in the North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] Fed by glaciers at the headwaters, the Ivishak flows northeast, then northwest, through the Philip Smith Mountains and the northern foothills of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It enters the Sagavanirktok River on the coastal plain south of Prudhoe Bay.[3]

On December 2, 1980, 80 miles (129 km) of the Ivishak was designated a National Wild and Scenic River. The protected segments, including the headwaters, an unnamed tributary from Porcupine Lake, and all but the lowermost part of the main stem, lie within the wildlife refuge.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Ivishak River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. January 1, 2000. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  2. ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. ^ a b "Ivishak River, Alaska". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved September 3, 2013.