John River (Alaska)

John River
John River near Bettles
John River (Alaska) is located in Alaska
John River (Alaska)
Location of the mouth of the John River in Alaska
EtymologyJohn Bremner
Native nameAtchiiniq (Inupiaq)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
DistrictNorth Slope Borough, Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area
Physical characteristics
Sourceconfluence of Contact and Inukpasugruk creeks
 • locationEndicott Mountains, Brooks Range, North Slope Borough
 • coordinates68°07′34″N 151°45′23″W / 68.12611°N 151.75639°W / 68.12611; -151.75639[1]
 • elevation2,076 ft (633 m)[2]
MouthKoyukuk River[3]
 • location
1 mile (2 km) northeast of Bettles, Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area
 • coordinates
66°54′49″N 151°39′13″W / 66.91361°N 151.65361°W / 66.91361; -151.65361[1]
 • elevation
600 ft (180 m)[1]
Length125 mi (201 km)[3]
TypeWild
DesignatedDecember 2, 1980

The John River (Iñupiaq: Atchiiniq[4]) is a 125-mile (201 km) tributary of the Koyukuk River in the northern part of the U.S. state of Alaska.[3] It was named after John Bremner, a prospector and explorer who was one of the first non-native persons to go there.[3] It flows south from Anaktuvuk Pass in Alaska's Brooks Range, into the larger river at a point near Bettles,[3] slightly north of the Arctic Circle.[5]

In 1980, the 52-mile (84 km) segment of the John River within the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve were designated "wild" and added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[6] The designation means that the segment is unpolluted, free-flowing, and generally inaccessible except by trail.[7]

The John River Valley is an important migration route for Arctic caribou.[6]

  1. ^ a b c "John River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. January 1, 2000. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  2. ^ Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
  3. ^ a b c d e Orth, Donald J.; United States Geological Survey (1971) [1967]. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names: Geological Survey Professional Paper 567 (PDF). United States Government Printing Office. p. 475. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  4. ^ Nictune, Oscar (April 1988). "Alaska" (PDF). Alaska Native Language Archive. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2010. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-89933-289-5.
  6. ^ a b "John River, Alaska". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  7. ^ "About the WSR Act". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Retrieved October 20, 2013.