DOCSLIB.ORG

Selected Geochemical and Biogeochemical Studies of the Fortymile River Watershed, Alaska

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Selected Geochemical and Biogeochemical Studies of the Fortymile River Watershed, Alaska uses science for a changing world Selected Geochemical and Biogeochemical Studies of the Fortymile River Watershed, Alaska Professional Paper 1685 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Selected Geochemical and Biogeochemical Studies of the Fortymile River Watershed, Alaska Larry P. Gough, Editor Professional Paper 1685 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2004 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 This report and any updates to it are available online at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1685/ Additional USGS publications can be found at: http://geology.usgs.gov/products.html For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747) World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement of the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, it contains copyrighted materials that are noted in the text. Permission to reproduce those items must be secured from the individual copyright owners. Cataloging-in-publication data are on file with the Library of Congress (URL http://www.loc.gov/). COVER Fortymile River near the mouth of Moose Creek. This section of the river, just a few miles west of the United States-Canadian border, cuts through supracrustal metasedimentary rocks of the Taylor Mountain assem­ blage. The geochemical influence of this and other lithologic units on surface-water chemistry and fish-tissue bio- geochemistry is the subject of the first two chapters in this report. The brown color of the river water is due to the abundance of natural organic matter, which plays a role in the transport and complexation of dissolved metals—the subject of the third chapter in this report. Manuscript approved for publication, October 30,2003 Produced in the Western Region, Menlo Park, California Text edited by George A. Havach Layout and design by Sara Boore Ill Contents [Numbers designate chapters] Introduction ........................................................................................... ...^^ 1 By Larry P. Gough 1. Geochemical Processes and Geologic Framework Influencing Surface-Water and Sediment Chemistry in the Fortymile River Watershed, East-Central Alaska..................... 3 By Bronwen Wang, Richard B. Wanty, and Jim Vohden 2. Biogeochemistry, Stable-lsotopic Composition, and Feeding Habits of Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the Lower Fortymile River, Eastern Alaska...................................... 21 By Larry P. Gough, James G. Crock, Robert R. Seal, Bronwen Wang, and PhyllisWeber-Scannell 3. Comparative Characteristics of Natural Organic Matter in the Fortymile River, Alaska ............ 45 By Donald L. Macalady, Kaylene Ritter, Aaron D. Redman, and Magnus Skold 4. U.S. Geological Survey Reports on the Fortymile River Watershed — Products of Recent Mineral Resources Program Studies.................................................................................... 53 Introduction By Larry P. Gough The collection of three papers that follow results from cally active, possibly even toxic, in plants and animals). By hydrologic, geologic, geochemical, and biogeochemical understanding the predevelopment baselines, changes sus­ studies begun in 1997 in the Forty mile River watershed, pected to have been caused by human activity can be defined east-central Alaska. These studies are the latest in a series of and quantified. publications (see bibliography at end of this report), resulting The chapters in this report provide a framework for the from work focused on the mineral-rich Yukon-Tanana Upland analysis of future, potential changes in geochemical and bio­ (YTU) physiographic region (Interior Highlands Ecoregion), geochemical signatures, because they report the quantitative conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)'s Mineral analysis of water, sediment, rocks, and fish tissue. They also Resources Program. report on the processes that affect the mobility and bioavail- The YTU has a long history related to the mining and ability of certain trace elements. The chapter by Wang and oth­ mineral industry. Placer gold was first discovered in the For- ers discusses major- and trace-element chemistry in relation to tymile River in 1886, and both alluvial and lode deposits have regional lithologic units within the Fortymile River watershed. been exploited within the region. The development of low- to The major-ion chemistry of the waters reflects a rock-domi­ high-grade, high-tonnage, intrusion-related Au deposits (such nated aqueous system with but limited interaction with the as Fort Knox, True North, and Pogo) since the early 1990s is geologic materials of the region. The authors discuss in detail a new resource that has spurred a resurgence of exploration the multiple and varied reasons for this apparent paradox. The activity. Numerous State and Federal regulations require that chapter by Gough and others examines the chemistry of fish the degree of potentially adverse environmental impact from tissue (Arctic grayling) and reports functional biogeochemical these exploration and mining activities be quantified, espe­ baseline values and (or) ranges for numerous elements, includ­ cially for surface-water quality and its influence on the health ing mercury. This chapter also examines the nitrogen-, carbon-, of aquatic biota. By helping to establish regional premining and sulfur-isotopic composition of fish tissue in relation to baselines, these and other studies will aid regulatory decisions grayling food sources and trophic position in the food web. at the local, State, and Federal levels, as well as help the min­ Finally, the chapter by Macalady and others discusses the role ing companies formulate efficient mitigation plans. of dissolved natural organic matter on the mobility of trace The USGS, the Bureau of Land Management, and the elements in waters. Measurements of the copper-complexation Alaska Department of Natural Resources are cooperating in capacities of these samples confirm that the dissolved organic project work to provide the scientific data for upcoming deci­ matter has very low metal-binding capacities. The authors sions that involve State and Federal land-use options and their discuss the importance of this discovery in relation to future regulations. One important question that relates to resource potential mining activities. development is "what are the regional predevelopment The bibliography at the end of this report lists all the pub­ geochemical 'signatures' (or baselines) for water and biota, lications that were generated by this project from 1997 to the and what impact do natural processes have on the variation present, some of which are available in their entirety online, in those 'signatures'"? This question is especially important whereas others may be obtained from the USGS library (URL because it applies to trace elements, particularly if those trace http://library.usgs.gov/) or from USGS Information Services elements have environmental importance (that is, are metaboli- (URLhttp://mapping.usgs.gov/esic/to_order.html). Chapter 1 Geochemical Processes and Geologic Framework Influencing Surface-Water and Sediment Chemistry in the Fortymile River Watershed, East-Central Alaska By Bronwen Wang, Richard B. Wanty, and Jim Vohden1 Contents stream-sediment samples, respectively. Total aqueous REE concentrations were positively correlated with the amount of sus­ Abstract.......................................................................................................... 3 pended colloidal matter but not correlated with the pH of the water. Introduction................................................................................................... 3 Geologic Setting............................................................................................ 4 Methods......................................................................................................... 6 Results .......................................................................................................... 7 Introduction Aqueous Chemistry............................................................................ 7 Stream Sediment................................................................................ 8 The Fortymile River lies within the "Tintina Gold Belt" Rare-Earth Elements.......................................................................... 9 and is within the Yukon-Tanana Upland physiographic prov­ Summary........................................................................................................17 ince (fig. 1). Placer gold has been mined in the Fortymile River References Cited ..........................................................................................17 region since 1886 (Mertie, 1938; Yeend, 1996), and gold explo­ ration and development in the Tintina Gold Belt has recently Abstract expanded because of the discoveries of the Fort Knox, True North, and Pogo deposits (Goldfarb and others, 2000). Between We have analyzed major, trace, and rare-earth elements 1997 and 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska in water and stream-sediment samples from 33 sites within the Department of Natural Resources conducted a cooperative study Fortymile
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tc-Forty-Mile-Cheda-Dek-Guide.Pdf
    Published 2011. ISBN 978-1-55362-538-4 For more information about Forty Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine Historic Site, visit the Dänojà Zho cultural centre in Dawson or contact: Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Heritage P. O. Box 599, Dawson City, Y0B 1G0 1242 Front Street, Dawson City Main office phone: (867) 993-7100 Dänojà Zho office phone: (867) 993-6768 Fax: (867) 993-6553 Email: [email protected] Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in website: www.trondek.ca Forty Mile web site: http://trondekheritage.com/our-places/forty-mile/ Yukon Historic Sites P. O. Box 2703, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6 Phone: (867) 667-5386 Fax: (867) 667-8023 www.tc.gov.yk.ca/historicsites.html Cover images: Map, Yukon Archives H-1393 YG photo Yukon Archives, Alaska Historical Library #4221 Forty Mile circa 1890. Guide to Forty Mile The Forty Mile townsite is part of the Forty trading post and store established in 1893. Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine Both of these sites are across the Fortymile Historic Site. The site is located at the River from the townsite of Forty Mile. The mouth of the Fortymile River where ground is marshy and the remains are fragile it empties into the Yukon River, 67 km so it recommended that visitors restrict their upstream from the Alaska/Yukon border activities to the Forty Mile townsite. and 88 km downriver from Dawson City. The Forty Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Generations of First Nation people camped Constantine Historic Site is protected under at the mouth of the Fortymile River to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Final Agreement hunt and fish in the area.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishery Management Report for Sport Fisheries in the Yukon Management Area, 2012
    Fishery Management Report No. 14-31 Fishery Management Report for Sport Fisheries in the Yukon Management Area, 2012 by John Burr June 2014 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Divisions of Sport Fish and Commercial Fisheries Symbols and Abbreviations The following symbols and abbreviations, and others approved for the Système International d'Unités (SI), are used without definition in the following reports by the Divisions of Sport Fish and of Commercial Fisheries: Fishery Manuscripts, Fishery Data Series Reports, Fishery Management Reports, and Special Publications. All others, including deviations from definitions listed below, are noted in the text at first mention, as well as in the titles or footnotes of tables, and in figure or figure captions. Weights and measures (metric) General Mathematics, statistics centimeter cm Alaska Administrative all standard mathematical deciliter dL Code AAC signs, symbols and gram g all commonly accepted abbreviations hectare ha abbreviations e.g., Mr., Mrs., alternate hypothesis HA kilogram kg AM, PM, etc. base of natural logarithm e kilometer km all commonly accepted catch per unit effort CPUE liter L professional titles e.g., Dr., Ph.D., coefficient of variation CV meter m R.N., etc. common test statistics (F, t, χ2, etc.) milliliter mL at @ confidence interval CI millimeter mm compass directions: correlation coefficient east E (multiple) R Weights and measures (English) north N correlation coefficient cubic feet per second ft3/s south S (simple) r foot ft west W covariance cov gallon gal copyright degree (angular ) ° inch in corporate suffixes: degrees of freedom df mile mi Company Co. expected value E nautical mile nmi Corporation Corp.
    [Show full text]
  • March 1St, 2021 Snow Water Equivalent
    March 1, 2021 The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service cooperates with the following organizations in snow survey work: Federal State of Alaska U.S. Depart of Agriculture - U.S. Forest Service Alaska Department of Fish and Game Chugach National Forest Alaska Department of Transportation and Tongass National Forest Public Facilities U.S. Department of Commerce Alaska Department of Natural Resources NOAA, Alaska Pacific RFC Division of Parks U.S. Department of Defense Division of Mining and Water U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Division of Forestry U.S. Department of Interior Alaska Energy Authority Bureau of Land Management Alaska Railroad U.S. Geological Survey Soil and Water Conservation Districts U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Homer SWCD National Park Service Fairbanks SWCD Salcha-Delta SWCD Municipalities University of Alaska Anchorage Geophysical Institute Juneau Water and Environment Research Private Alaska Public Schools Alaska Electric, Light and Power, Juneau Mantanuska-Susitna Borough School Alyeska Resort, Inc. District Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Eagle School, Gateway School District Anchorage Municipal Light and Power Chugach Electric Association Canada Copper Valley Electric Association Ministry of the Environment Homer Electric Association British Columbia Ketchikan Public Utilities Department of the Environment Prince William Sound Science Center Government of the Yukon The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, nation- al origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.
    [Show full text]
  • Frontiers Fall Issue
    Our Alaska Resources: News from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ISSUE 130 | FALL 2018 We’ve been busy BLMers Lisa Gleason ISSUE 130 what’s inside Birds - Tundra to the 4 Tropics Exploring the Utukok 6 River Uplands 8 Art & Inspiration 9 Walking the Plank 10 First Joint ROD Thomas Hartmann Meet Stephanie 11 Welcome to frontiers! Planning for NPR-A We had more stories than we could fit in this issue, as so much work is 13 ongoing in many areas at BLM Alaska. We are sharing stories from last summer, including Artists in Residence, Trail Interpretation, bird surveys, Coffee with a exploring the remote Utukok River, Coffee with a Scientist, and addressing 14 Scientist migratory birds from Alaska to the Philippines. We are including a profile on a BLM planner that will leave you in awe. All of this and more! Thank Surviving “Alaska’s you for sharing our Alaska frontier. 15 State Bird” when counting Birds Artist in Residence Karen J. Laubenstein 16 Editor frontiers flashes 18 BLM Alaska frontiers may contain copyrighted CREDITS material that is used with permission of the Managing editor copyright owner. Publication in a government Karen J. Laubenstein, (907) 271-3318 document does not authorize any use or [email protected] appropriation of this copyrighted material without consent of the owner, as it is not in the public Contributing writers domain. Any text or photo without attributed Casey Burns, Rich Capitan, Mataya Clark, copyright may be reproduced in whole or in part Collin Cogley, Joe Edmonds, Lisa Gleason, Kim as it is in the public domain.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Gold and Gravel: a Pictorial History of Mining Operations at Coal Creek
    OF GOLD AND GRAVEL A Pictorial History of Mining Operations at Coal Creek and Woodchopper Creek, 1934–1938 Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve National Park Service Edited and Notes by Chris Allan OF GOLD AND GRAVEL A Pictorial History of Mining Operations at Coal Creek and Woodchopper Creek, 1934–1938 Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Edited and Notes by Chris Allan 2021 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Lynn Johnson, the granddaughter of Walter Johnson who designed the Coal Creek and Woodchooper Creek dredges; Rachel Cohen of the Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives; and Jeff Rasic, Adam Freeburg, Kris Fister, Brian Renninger, and Lynn Horvath who all helped with editing and photograph selection. For additional copies contact: Chris Allan National Park Service Fairbanks Administrative Center 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 Printed in Fairbanks, Alaska Front Cover: View from the pilot house of the Coal Creek gold dredge showing the bucket line carrying gravel to be processed inside the machine. The bucket line could dig up to twenty-two feet below the surface. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska & Polar Regions Collections and Archives, Stanton Patty Family Papers. Title Page Inset: A stock certificate for Gold Placers, Inc. signed by General Manager Ernest N. Patty, November 16, 1935. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska & Polar Regions Collections and Archives, Stanton Patty Family Papers. Back Cover: Left to right: The mail carrier Adolph “Ed” Biederman, his son Charlie, daughter Doris, the trapper and miner George Beck, Ed’s son Horace, and Jack Welch, the proprietor of Woodchopper Roadhouse. The group is at Slaven’s Roadhouse on the banks of the Yukon River posing with a mammoth tusk recovered from a placer mining tunnel.
    [Show full text]
  • Federal Issues and Conflicts July 2021
    Alaska Department of Law List of Federal Issues and Conflicts July 2021 NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS Alignment with Case or Matter Brief Description Status Federal Approach Kuskokwim River/ Interior The State requested a recordable disclaimer of interest on Board of Land Appeals the Kuskokwim River to resolve a dispute over ownership of a (IBLA) Appeal. Not aligned. portion of the riverbed. The Bureau of Land Management Briefing is complete and we are awaiting a decision by the IBLA. (BLM) denied the request, and the State appealed to Interior AAG J. Alloway Board of Land Appeals. Middle Fork, North Fork, BLM previously found portions of the Middle Fork of the and Dennison Fork of the Fortymile, North Fork of the Fortymile, Dennison Fork, and Fortymile River— West Fork of the Dennison Fork non-navigable. In response to BLM filed an answer denying the navigability of the disputed navigability. Not aligned. the State’s notice of intent to sue, BLM reversed its position portions of the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Fortymile. The on the Dennison Fork and the West Fork of the Dennison parties are engaged in discovery; trial is anticipated Summer 2022. AAGs R. Opsahl, L. Fork, but not the other two rivers. The State filed a quiet title Harrison action on those rivers in October 2018. Navigable Waterways/ The PUMP asserts jurisdiction over, and directs the United Togiak Public Use States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to adopt Management Plan (PUMP). Not aligned. The USFWS has not proposed the regulations yet. regulations to limit unguided use on state navigable waterways in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.
    [Show full text]
  • 2008 ANNUAL REPORT SARAH PALIN, Governor
    STATE OF ALASKA CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMISSION ON FEDERAL AREAS 2008 ANNUAL REPORT SARAH PALIN, Governor 3700AIRPORT WAY CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMISSION FAIRBANKS, ALASKA 99709 ON FEDERAL AREAS PHONE: (907) 374-3737 FAX: (907)451-2751 Dear Reader: This is the 2008 Annual Report of the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Areas to the Governor and the Alaska State Legislature. The annual report is required by AS 41.37.220(f). INTRODUCTION The Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Areas was originally established by the State of Alaska in 1981 to provide assistance to the citizens of Alaska affected by the management of federal lands within the state. In 2007 the Alaska State Legislature reestablished the Commission. 2008 marked the first year of operation for the Commission since funding was eliminated in 1999. Following the 1980 passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), the Alaska Legislature identified the need for an organization that could provide assistance to Alaska's citizens affected by that legislation. ANILCA placed approximately 104 million acres of federal public lands in Alaska into conservation system units. This, combined with existing units, created a system of national parks, national preserves, national monuments, national wildlife refuges and national forests in the state encompassing more than 150 million acres. The resulting changes in land status fundamentally altered many Alaskans' traditional uses of these federal lands. In the 28 years since the passage of ANILCA, changes have continued. The Federal Subsistence Board rather than the State of Alaska has assumed primary responsibility for regulating subsistence hunting and fishing activities on federal lands.
    [Show full text]
  • Governor Dunleavy's Navigable Waters Initiative
    Governor Dunleavy’s Navigable Waters Initiative “Unlocking Alaska” Presentation to the Alaska Alliance DNR Deputy Commissioner Brent Goodrum DNR DMLW Public Access Manager Jim Walker April 8, 2021 1 THE NAVIGABLE WATERS ISSUE • Alaska holds an estimated 800,000 miles of Navigable Rivers. • Alaska holds an estimated 30 million acres of Navigable Lakes. • The State of Alaska owns the submerged lands beneath every navigable-in-fact river and lake, and beneath tidally influenced waters in the state--unless a valid pre-statehood withdrawal or reservation defeats state title. • In Federal Conservation System Unit areas created in Alaska post-statehood, the submerged lands beneath navigable-in-fact and tidally influenced waters are state-owned lands. FEDERAL AREAS WHERE SOA OWNS SUBMERGED LANDS • National Park Service: Noatak NPr, Kobuk Valley NP, Bering Land Bridge NPr, Denali NPP, Wrangell-St. Elias NPP, Glacier Bay NPP, Katmai NPP, Kenai Fjords NP, Gates of the Arctic NPP, Lake Clark NPP, Yukon-Charley Rivers NPr, etc. • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Becharof NWR, Innoko NWR, Izembek NWR, Kanuti NWR, Kenai NWR, Kodiak NWR, Koyukuk NWR, Nowitna NWR, Selawik NWR, Tetlin NWR, Togiak NWR, Yukon Delta NWR, Yukon Flats NWR, etc. • U.S. Forest Service: Tongass National Forest, Chugach National Forest • Bureau of Land Management: Steese National Conservation Area, Beaver Creek WSR, Birch Creek WSR, Fortymile River WSR, Gulkana River WSR, Unalakleet River WSR, Delta River WSR, etc. STATUS OF EFFORTS TO CLEAR TITLE 1959 TO PRESENT The federal government acknowledges Alaska’s clear title to its submerged lands beneath navigable‐in‐fact and tidally influenced rivers and lakes in only: • Only 9 percent of submerged lands under state-owned rivers.
    [Show full text]
  • Clarence Leroy Andrews Books and Papers in the Sheldon Jackson Archives and Manuscript Collection
    Clarence Leroy Andrews Books and Papers in the Sheldon Jackson Archives and Manuscript Collection ERRATA: based on an inventory of the collection August-November, 2013 Page 2. Insert ANDR I RUSS I JX238 I F82S. Add note: "The full record for this item is on page 108." Page6. ANDR I RUSS I V46 /V.3 - ANDR-11. Add note: "This is a small booklet inserted inside the front cover of ANDR-10. No separate barcode." Page 31. ANDR IF I 89S I GS. Add note: "The spine label on this item is ANDR IF I 89S I 84 (not GS)." Page S7. ANDR IF I 912 I Y9 I 88. Add note: "The spine label on this item is ANDR IF/ 931 I 88." Page 61. Insert ANDR IF I 931 I 88. Add note: "See ANDR IF I 912 I Y9 I 88. Page 77. ANDR I GI 6SO I 182S I 84. Change the date in the catalog record to 1831. It is not 1931. Page 100. ANDR I HJ I 664S I A2. Add note to v.1: "A" number in book is A-2S2, not A-717. Page 103. ANDR I JK / 86S. Add note to 194S pt. 2: "A" number in book is A-338, not A-348. Page 10S. ANDR I JK I 9S03 I A3 I 19SO. Add note: "A" number in book is A-1299, not A-1229. (A-1229 is ANDR I PS/ S71 / A4 I L4.) Page 108. ANDR I RUSS I JX I 238 / F82S. Add note: "This is a RUSS collection item and belongs on page 2." Page 1SS.
    [Show full text]
  • Yukon River Sheefish
    Fishery Management Report No. 15-51 Fishery Management Report for Sport Fisheries in the Yukon Management Area, 2014 by April Behr Brendan Scanlon and Klaus Wuttig December 2015 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Divisions of Sport Fish and Commercial Fisheries Symbols and Abbreviations The following symbols and abbreviations, and others approved for the Système International d'Unités (SI), are used without definition in the following reports by the Divisions of Sport Fish and of Commercial Fisheries: Fishery Manuscripts, Fishery Data Series Reports, Fishery Management Reports, and Special Publications. All others, including deviations from definitions listed below, are noted in the text at first mention, as well as in the titles or footnotes of tables, and in figure or figure captions. Weights and measures (metric) General Mathematics, statistics centimeter cm Alaska Administrative all standard mathematical deciliter dL Code AAC signs, symbols and gram g all commonly accepted abbreviations hectare ha abbreviations e.g., Mr., Mrs., alternate hypothesis HA kilogram kg AM, PM, etc. base of natural logarithm e kilometer km all commonly accepted catch per unit effort CPUE liter L professional titles e.g., Dr., Ph.D., coefficient of variation CV meter m R.N., etc. common test statistics (F, t, χ2, etc.) milliliter mL at @ confidence interval CI millimeter mm compass directions: correlation coefficient east E (multiple) R Weights and measures (English) north N correlation coefficient cubic feet per second ft3/s south S (simple) r foot ft west W covariance cov gallon gal copyright degree (angular ) ° inch in corporate suffixes: degrees of freedom df mile mi Company Co.
    [Show full text]
  • REPORT Recent Archaeological Survey Along the Middle Fork of The
    REPORT recent archaeological survey along the middle fork of the fortymile river, alaska Sam Coffman University of Alaska Museum of the North, 1962 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK; [email protected] Robin O. Mills Bureau of Land Management, 222 University Ave., Fairbanks, AK; [email protected] Scott Shirar University of Alaska Museum of the North, 1962 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks, AK; [email protected] abstract This report provides the preliminary results of surveys and test excavations at recently documented prehistoric archaeological sites found along the Middle Fork of the Fortymile River in eastern-central Alaska. The sites include features and data previously unreported in the drainage, including datable materials, feature depressions, and well-preserved faunal remains. Testing at these sites has contributed to formulating a basic temporal framework for the area relative to basic site function and past behav- ior. The findings of this multiyear project have begun to shed light on broader prehistoric land-use patterns in this area. background and purpose of fieldwork The Fortymile River drainage lies 290 km (180 mi) east Eagle [Nahtsiin]) as building a caribou fence on the of Fairbanks, Alaska (Fig. 1). The main stem of the river Middle Fork. The Alaska Native village of Joseph at the is 64 km (40 mi) long and is one of the larger tributaries mouth of Joseph Creek, now abandoned, is the only of the upper Yukon River. Its main tributaries include known historical Athabascan settlement on the river the North, South, and Middle forks, the Mosquito Fork, (Andrews 1980; Mitchell 1982). McKennan (1981:565) and the Dennison Fork.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Alaska Forest Action Plan
    2020 ALASKA FOREST ACTION PLAN STATE OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF FORESTRY © 2020 Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry Alaska Division of Forestry 550 W. 7th Ave. Suite 1450 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 Cover photo: Paper birch stand in Southcentral. The State of Alaska is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact the Division of Forestry for alternative formats of this publication. Please cite as Alaska Division of Forestry. 2020. 2020 Alaska forest action plan. Anchorage. Table of Contents Executive Summary: 2020 Alaska Forest Action Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Alaska Forest Action Plan Components ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 Statewide Forest Resource Strategy ................................................................................................................................................................... 2 STATEWIDE FOREST RESOURCE ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]