DOCSLIB.ORG

Mineral Investigations of the Koyukuk Mining District, Northern Alaska

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mineral Investigations of the Koyukuk Mining District, Northern Alaska U.S. Department of the Interior SLM-Alaska Open File Report 74 Bureau of Land Management B LM/ AK/ST-99/017 + 3090+932 September 1999 Alaska State Office 222 W. Seventh Avenue, #13 Anchorage, Alaska 99513 Mineral Investigations of the Koyukuk Mining District, Northern Alaska Progress Report Joseph M. Kurtak, Robert F. Klieforth, John M. Clark, and Earle M. Williams r rI ' ·~ j i r \ Mission Statement The Bureau of Land Management sustains the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Authors Joseph M. Kurtak and Robert F. Klieforth are geologists with the Bureau of Land Management's Alaska State Office, I. Division of Lands, Minerals and Resources, Anchorage Minerals Resources Team. \ L John M. Clark is a geologist with Environmental Careers Organization. Earle M. Williams is a mining engineer with the Bureau of Land Management's Alaska State Office, Division of l Lands, Minerals and Resources, Anchorage Minerals Resources Team. Cover Hand mining for placer gold on Myrtle Creek in 1899. Photo by F.C. Schrader, U.S. Geological Survey. Open File Reports Open File Reports issued by the Bureau of Land Management-Alaska present the results of inventories or other investigations on a variety of scientific and technical subjects that are made available to the public outside the formal l . BLM-Alaska technical series. These reports can include preliminary or incomplete data and are not published and distributed in quantity. The reports are available while supplies last from BLM External Affairs, 222 West 7th A venue#13, Anchorage, •Alaska 99513 and from the Juneau Minerals Information Center, 100 Savikko Road, Mayflower Island, Douglas, AK 99824, (907) 364-1553. Copies are also available for inspection at the Alaska Resource Library and Information Service (Anchorage), the USDIResourcesLibraryin Washington,D.C., various libraries of the University of Alaska, theBLM National Business Center, and other selected locations. A complete bibliography of all BLM-Alaska scientific reports can be found on the Internet at: http://www.ak.blm.gov/affairs/sci_rpts.html. Related publications are also listed at http://juneau.ak.blm.gov Mineral Investigations of the_ Koyukuk Mining District, Northern Alaska--Progress Report by Joseph M. Kurtak Robert F. Klieforth John M. Clark and Earle M. Williams BLM-Alaska Open File Report 74 September 1999 U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office 222 W. 7th Avenue, #13 Anchorage, Alaska 99513 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ...................· ................. ~ .................................... 1 Table of Abbreviations . 2 Introduction ........................... .- .......................................... 3 Acknowledginents . 3 Geography and Climate . .. 4 Land Status . 4 Previous Studies . 7 Mining History and Production . 8 Bureau Investigations . 12 Sampling Methods . 12 Regional Geology ................................................................ 15 Mineral Deposit Types ............................................... : . 18 Placer Gold ............. ~ . .. 18 Mineralized Q1,1artz Veins .................................................... 18 Tin-bearing Granites ........................................................ 19. Podiform Chronrite ......................................... ·. 19 . Massive Sulfides . 19 Porphyry Copper ....................................' . 20 Tin-, Copper-, Tungsten-bearing Skarns ......................................... 20 Significant Results . 21 Gates of the Arctic National Park .............................................. 21 Mettenpherg Creek . 22 John River . 22 Wild Lake ................................................................ 23 Wild River and Tributaries . 25 Mascot Creek . 26 Nolan Creek-Hammond River ................................................. 28 Bettles River and Robert Creek ................................................ 33 Sukakpak Mountain . 35 Bob Johnson (Big) Lake . 36 Middle Fork Koyukuk River-Coldfoot Area . 36 Tramway Bar Coal . .. 36 South Fork Koyukuk River . 37 Lake Todatonten ........................................................... 38 Indian River .............................................................. 38 Summary ........................................................................ 43 tr Bibliography .................................................................... 44 Appendix A - Analytical Procedures .................•................................. 65 Appendix B - Analytical Results . 69 f Appendix C - Placer Gold Production in the Koyukuk Mining District . 124 I Appendix D - Geophysics Program . 128 Ground Penetrating Radar . 128 Methodology ....................................................... 128 Field Sites and Results . 132 Magnetics and VLF Conductivity .......................... : .................. 142 Methodology . 14 2 Field Sites and Results . 144 Conclusions . 158 t PLATES r Plate 1. Location and Land Status Map of the Koyukuk Mining District . in pocket FIGURES Figure 1. Location map of the Koyukuk mining district study area, Alaska . 5 r ··· Figure 2. Looking north across the Koyukuk River lowlands . .. 6 ,, Figure 3. Placer operation on Nolan Creek by Silverado Gold Mines me. 11 Figure 4. Ground magnetic and VLF survey, near the Ginger Prospect, Big Spruce Creek . 13 Figure 5. Tectonostatigraphic terranes in the KoyuJruk mining district . 16 r Figure 6. Sample location map of the Wild Lake area . 24 Figure 7. Sample location map of the Mascot Creek area ................................... 27 Figure 8. Sample location map of Nolan Creek-Hammond River ............................. 29 Figure.9. Gold-bearing quartz veinlets in phyllite on Vermont Creek .................... : ..... 30 r Figure 10. Looking north at gold-bearing terrace gravels on the east side of Hammond River . 32 r Figure 1 I. Copper skam outcrop in the Big Spruce Creek area . 34 L Figure 12. Sample location map of the Lake Todatonten area ................................ 39 Figure 13. Sample location map of the Black Creek area ................................... 40 Figure 14. Placer tailings in Black Creek near Indian Mountain .............................. 41 TABLES Table 1. Climate Summary for the Koyukuk Mining District . 7 1 ' ' ii l . MINERAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE KOYUKUK MINING DISTRICT, NORTHERN ALASKA--PROGRESS REPORT ABSTRACT The Bureau of Land Management Anchorage Mineral Resource Team (AMRT) is conducting a five-year mineral resource assessment of the 11. 6 million acre Koyukuk mining district in northern Alaska. The district comprises the upper portion of the Koyukuk River drainage basin, the headwaters of which lie on the southern flank of the Brooks Range. The federal government manages 72% of the land within the district. District production totals approximately 286,000 ounces of placer gold and six tons of antimony ore. In 1998 there were 13 active placer mines in the district. There are 407 documented mines, prospects, and mineral occurrences within the district. These include gold placers; gold- and antimony-bearing quartz veins; copper- and zinc-bearing massive sulfides; copper­ bearing porphyries; tungsten-, copper-, and tin-bearing skarns; tin-bearing greisens; chromite; and coal. A total of 175 sites have been examined to date ·and 960 rock, soil, stream sediment, pan concentrate, and placer samples collected. A portion of the study, consisting of an airborne geophysical survey, was done in cooperation with the 1 I Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). Ground magnetic and electromagnetic ! conductivity surveys were done by AMRT as a followup to the airborne survey. In addition ground penetrating radar surveys were conducted over known placer deposits to identify channel locations and bedrock depth. Significant results from the first two years of this assessment include the delineation of anomalous gold . values within volcanic rocks on the upper Indian River, anomalous placer gold. in bench gravels above the Hammond River, gold-bearing quartz veinlets on nearby Vermont and Smith Creeks, and gold anomalies associated with skam and massive sulfide occurrences in the Chandalar copper belt north of Bettles River. : l . l 1 J r f t ABBREVIATIONS l Btu/lb British thennal unit per pound op degrees Fahrenheit oz ounce(s) [ oz/cyd ounce(s) per cubic yard oz/ton ounce(s) per short ton ,f ppb part( s) per billion ! ppm part(s) per million r f '/:._ f t !I r l, r t 2 l L 1 INTRODUCTION In 1997 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Anchorage Mineral Resource Team (AMRT) initiated a five-year assessment of the mineral resources of the Koyukuk Mining District. The ultimate objectives of this evaluation are: 1) to identify the mineral resources of the area and 2) to perform mining feasibility studies, using hypothetical mine models on mineral deposits that have potential to be economic. This study is part of the BLM's ongoing mining district evaluation program and is authorized under Section 1010 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). An airborne geophysical survey of a portion of the district was done in 1997 as a cooperative effort with the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS). This report discusses the results from the first two years of the Koyukuk study and includes information gathered in the district by the former U.S. Bureau of Mines. Out of 5 6 placer-producing districts in Alaska, the Koyukuk ranks 17th highest, with production
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ambler Draft EIS Map 3-6 Large Rivers, Lakes, and Hydrologic Gages
    Chapter 3 - Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences Large Rivers, Lakes, and Hydrologic Gages in the Project Area U.S DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR | BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT | ALASKA | AMBLER ROAD EIS Noatak National Hydrologic National Preserve Dataset University of Alaska Fairbanks - Water and (!!(Wiseman !( r Environmental Research e R v i USGS Center Water Gage e R ID:15564875 r e d h !( USGS Water Gage e Gates of the Arctic c v R i i r (! Coldfoot t !( i National Park Alternative A R v Alatna River e r i e John River k e Iniakuk Lake r D u v Walker Lake USGS Alternative B t i k R ID:15564879 u Alternative C er l Wild River Riv o k ! k g lu Avaraart Lake ute Ambler Mineral Belt ( o # m Fo ") a e ala rk )"161 n K n M !( Koyukuk River Ambler g au Ambler Mining District n M B u e ! h a !( ( Community S v !( e S. Fork Reed River !( Kollioksak r Alatna River )"# Dalton Highway Mile Post USGS C Bedrock Shungnak ! r Nutuvukti Lake (! Evansville (! ( ID:15743850 Lake e !( National Wildlife Refuge ek Creek Bettles Kobuk Boundary Narvak Lake Lake Minakokosa Old Bettles Ku r Site National Park Service ki Lake Selby K ive !( ch obuk R Boundary e Norutak Lake USGS r P k Gates of the Arctic ID:15564885 ick R Alatna River . National Preserve R r i e v Yukon v e i r R Allakaket Flats a tz Alatna (!(! a NWR Pah River og H Selawik NWR iver Kanuti NWR k R ku u D y A o L K T O Hughes Creek N H W Y Lake Tokhaklanten To Fairbanks Klalbaimunket Lake Hughes !((! USGS ID:15564900 Ray River )"60")# !( g Salt River Indian River Bi USGS ID:15453500 Date: 6/28/2019 Huslia No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land (! Management as to the accuracy, reliability, K or completeness of these data for individual o or aggregate use with other data.
    [Show full text]
  • Pamphlet to Accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3131
    Bedrock Geologic Map of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, and Accompanying Conodont Data By Alison B. Till, Julie A. Dumoulin, Melanie B. Werdon, and Heather A. Bleick Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3131 View of Salmon Lake and the eastern Kigluaik Mountains, central Seward Peninsula 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Sources of data ....................................................................................................................................1 Components of the map and accompanying materials .................................................................1 Geologic Summary ........................................................................................................................................1 Major geologic components ..............................................................................................................1 York terrane ..................................................................................................................................2 Grantley Harbor Fault Zone and contact between the York terrane and the Nome Complex ..........................................................................................................................3 Nome Complex ............................................................................................................................3
    [Show full text]
  • Alaska Park Science 19(1): Arctic Alaska Are Living at the Species’ Northern-Most to Identify Habitats Most Frequented by Bears and 4-9
    National Park Service US Department of the Interior Alaska Park Science Region 11, Alaska Below the Surface Fish and Our Changing Underwater World Volume 19, Issue 1 Noatak National Preserve Cape Krusenstern Gates of the Arctic Alaska Park Science National Monument National Park and Preserve Kobuk Valley Volume 19, Issue 1 National Park June 2020 Bering Land Bridge Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve National Preserve Denali National Wrangell-St Elias National Editorial Board: Park and Preserve Park and Preserve Leigh Welling Debora Cooper Grant Hilderbrand Klondike Gold Rush Jim Lawler Lake Clark National National Historical Park Jennifer Pederson Weinberger Park and Preserve Guest Editor: Carol Ann Woody Kenai Fjords Managing Editor: Nina Chambers Katmai National Glacier Bay National National Park Design: Nina Chambers Park and Preserve Park and Preserve Sitka National A special thanks to Sarah Apsens for her diligent Historical Park efforts in assembling articles for this issue. Her Aniakchak National efforts helped make this issue possible. Monument and Preserve Alaska Park Science is the semi-annual science journal of the National Park Service Alaska Region. Each issue highlights research and scholarship important to the stewardship of Alaska’s parks. Publication in Alaska Park Science does not signify that the contents reflect the views or policies of the National Park Service, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute National Park Service endorsement or recommendation. Alaska Park Science is found online at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/alaskaparkscience/index.htm Table of Contents Below the Surface: Fish and Our Changing Environmental DNA: An Emerging Tool for Permafrost Carbon in Stream Food Webs of Underwater World Understanding Aquatic Biodiversity Arctic Alaska C.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification and Characterization of Inconnu Spawning Habitat in the Sulukna River, Alaska
    Identification and characterization of inconnu spawning habitat in the Sulukna River, Alaska Item Type Thesis Authors Gerken, Jonathon D. Download date 01/10/2021 17:30:58 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6994 IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF INCONNU SPAWNING HABITAT IN THE SULUKNA RIVER, ALASKA By Jonathon Gerken RECOMMENDED: Mr. Randy Bpown h jM k i - ____________________ Dr. David Verbyla C9/ts Dr. Christian Zimmerman _________ , .///A , l Dr. Joseph Margraf, Advisory Committee C^iair 7 fU > Dr. Shannon Atkinson, Interim Director, Fisheries Division APPROVED: Dr. Denis Wiesenburg Dean, SchoaUef Fisheries and Ocean Sciences /Sr DfTLawrence Duffy, Dean of the Graduate School Date IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF INCONNU SPAWNING HABITAT IN THE SULUKNA RIVER, ALASKA A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE By Jonathon D. Gerken, B.S. Fairbanks, Alaska December 2009 Ill Abstract InconnuStenodus leucichthys are present throughout much of the Yukon Rlver drainage in Alaska, but only five spawning areas have been identified. Spawning habitat requlrements are therefore thought to be very speclflc; however, the physlcal qualltles of these habitats have only been characterized in general terms. The Sulukna River is one of five identified inconnu spawning areas within the Yukon River drainage. A systematic sampling design was used in September and October of 2007-2008 to define Sulukna River spawning locations. Presence of inconnu was identified using hook and line sampling methods and spawning was verified by catching broadcast eggs in plankton nets. Small-scale, large-scale, and chemical habitat variables were sampled at transects located every 1.8 river kilometer (rkm).
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of West-Central Alaska
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEOLOGY OF WEST-CENTRAL ALASKA W.W. Patton, Jr., S.E. Box, E.J. Moll-Stalcup, and T.P. Miller Opcn-File Report OF 89-554 This reporz is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survcy editorial standards. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. CONTENTS Introduction Pre-mid-Cretaceous lithotectonic terranes Minchumina terrane Definition and distribution Description Telida subterrane East Fork subterrane Interpretation and correlation Nixon Fork terrane Definition and djstrib~ltion Descriptioa P~ecambrian metamorphic rocks Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic clastic rocks Interpretation and correlation Innoko terrane Definition and distribution Description Interpretation and correlation Ruby terrane Definition and distribution Description Protolith age Agc of metamorphism Interpretations and correlations Angayucham-Tozitna terrane Definition and distribution Description Thc Slate Creek thrust pancl The Narvak thrust pancl The Kanuti thrust panel Interpretation and correlation Koyukuk terranc Definition and distribution Description Interpretation Overlap assemblages Mid- and Upper Cretaceous terrigenous sedimentary rocks Distribution Graywackc and rnudstonc turbidilcs Fluvial and shallow marine conglomerate, sandstone, and shale Marginal conglomerates Fluvial and shallow marine sandstone and shale Interpretation Mid- and Late Cretaceous
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of the Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula Region, Alaska
    Geology of the Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula Region, Alaska Including the Kenai, Seldovia, Seward, Blying Sound, Cordova, and Middleton Island 1:250,000-scale quadrangles By Frederic H. Wilson and Chad P. Hults Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3110 View looking east down Harriman Fiord at Serpentine Glacier and Mount Gilbert. (photograph by M.L. Miller) 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Geographic, Physiographic, and Geologic Framework ..........................................................................1 Description of Map Units .............................................................................................................................3 Unconsolidated deposits ....................................................................................................................3 Surficial deposits ........................................................................................................................3 Rock Units West of the Border Ranges Fault System ....................................................................5 Bedded rocks ...............................................................................................................................5
    [Show full text]
  • Wilderness Whitewater Featuring Wild Rivers from Bc, Alaska, and All Over the World
    Conservation • Access • Events • Adventure • Safety BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS Sept/Oct 2010 WildERness Whitewater featuRinG Wild Rivers from bc, AlaskA, And All Over ThE world Threat to the Stikine, naas, and Skeena Wilderness immersion on the Tuya Big Water Education on the Clendenning 330 Miles on the Taseko-Chilcotin-Fraser River Wilderness Adventure on the Alatna learning Fast on devil’s Canyon of the Susitna Going deep on the Talkeetna A vOLUNTEER puBliCATiOn pROMOTinG RivER COnSERvATiOn, ACCESS And SAFETY American Whitewater Journal Sept/Oct 2010 – volume 50 – issue 5 COluMnS 5 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 40 Safety by Charlie Walbridge 44 News & Notes 51 Whitewater Poetry by Christopher Stec StewardShip updates 6 Stewardship Updates by kevin Colburn FeatuRE artiCles 7 A Broad View of Wilderness by Sean Bierle 9 Going Deep on the Talkeetna by Matthew Cornell 11 Wet and Wild in the Himalayas by Stephen Cunliffe 15 Devil’s Canyon of the Susinta by darcy Gaechter 18 Finding Wilderness Adventure on the Alatna by Mark Mckinstry 24 New Threat to British Columbia’s Sacred Secret by karen Tam Wu 29 Getting an Education in the Back Woods of BC by kate Wagner and Christie Glissmeyer 31 Salmon and Bears in the Taseko-Chilko Wilderness by Rocky Contos 34 Wilderness Immersion on BC’s Tuya River by Claudia Schwab 38 Cinco De Mayo West Branch of the Peabody Mission by Jake Risch Kayaker Graham Helsby paddles into Publication Title: American Whitewater a cave on the Siang and marvels at the Issue Date: Sept/Oct 2010 Statement of Frequency: Published Bimonthly power and beauty of the big volume Authorized Organization’s Name and Address: Brahmaputra.
    [Show full text]
  • Inventory and Cataloging of Interior Waters with Emphasis on the Upper Yukon and the Haul Road Areas
    Volume 20 Study G-I-N STATE OF ALASKA Jay S. Hammond, Governor Annual Performance Report for INVENTORY AND CATALOGING OF INTERIOR WATERS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE UPPER YUKON AND THE HAUL ROAD AREAS Gary A. Pearse ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME Ronald 0. Skoog, Commissioner SPORT FISH DIVISION Rupert E. Andreus, Director Job No. G-I-N Inventory and Cataloging of Interior Waters with Emphasis on the Upper Yukon and the Haul Road Areas By: Gary A. Pearse Abstract Background Sport Fish Catch and Effort General Drainage Description 1978 Field Studies Creel Census Lake Surveys Arctic Char Counts Purpose and Intent of Report Recommendations Koyukuk River Drainage Management Research Chandalar River Drinage Management Research Porcupine River Drainage Management Research Ob j ectives Techniques Used Findings Koyukuk River Drainage Chandalar River Drainage Porcupine River Drainage Annotated Bibliography Volume 20 Study No. G-I RESEARCH PROJECT SEGMENT State: ALASKA Name : Sport Fish Investigations of A1 as ka Project No.: F-9-11 Study No. : G- I Study Title: INVENTORY AND CATALOGING Job No. G- I-N Job Ti tle: -Inventory and Cataloging of Interior Waters with Emphasis on the Upper Yukon and the Haul Road Areas Period Covered: July 1, 1978 to June 30, 1979 'l'his report summarizes preliminary fisheries surveys conducted during the years 1964 through 1978 in a 106,190 square kilometer (41,000 square mile) study area in Northeastern Alaska. Area habitat, climate, and human activities are discussed, and sport and subsistence fishery uses are briefly described. A total of' 20 fish species was either captured or reported present.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Alaska Geologic and Mineral Information 2004 INFORMATION CIRCULAR 44 Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
    Guide to Alaska Geologic and Mineral Information 2004 INFORMATION CIRCULAR 44 Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys in cooperation with: United States Geological Survey • University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library • Geophysical Institute Keith Mather Library • University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library • Bureau of Land Management Juneau - John Rishel Mineral Information Center • ARLIS (Alaska Resources Library and Information Services) • Alaska State Library Guide to Alaska Geologic and Mineral Information 2004 E. Ellen Daley Ph.D., Editor Information Circular 44 Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys in cooperation with • United States Geological Survey • University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library • Bureau of Land Management Juneau - John Rishel Mineral • University of Alaska Fairbanks Information Center Rasmuson Library • ARLIS (Alaska Resources Library • University of Alaska Fairbanks and Information Services) Geophysical Institute Keith Mather Library • Alaska State Library i Foreword Until his death in 1983, Edward H. Cobb of the U.S. Geological Survey main- tained a truly exceptional database on the geology and mineral deposits of Alaska—manifested in hundreds of published mineral locality maps, bibliogra- phies, and compilations of Alaska references. His work anticipated a fundamen- tal need to define the mineral endowment of Alaska during the long process that culminated in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1981 (ANILCA). Almost 20 years later, Ed Cobb’s maps, bibliographies, and publica- tions, outdated as they have become in some ways, remain a mainstay of Alaska geology, land planning, and mineral exploration. Geology is a cumulative science built on the work of our predecessors. No one produced a better regional geologic information database for others to build on than did Ed Cobb in Alaska.
    [Show full text]
  • Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of Alaska
    United States Department of Agriculture Land Resource Natural Resources Regions and Major Conservation Service Land Resource October 2004 Areas of Alaska Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of Alaska October 2004 USDA—NRCS Alaska 800 W. Evergreen Avenue, Suite 100 Palmer, Alaska 99645-6539 This document is available on the NRCS Alaska Web site: http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/lrr.html Edited by: Darrell R. Kautz, Vegetation Ecologist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Pam Taber, Editorial Assistant, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Contributors: Joseph P. Moore, State Soil Scientist/MLRA Office Leader, NRCS, Palmer, Alaska Dennis Moore, Soil Data Quality Specialist, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Mark Clark, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Darrell R. Kautz, Vegetation Ecologist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Dennis Mulligan, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Fairbanks, Alaska Michael Mungoven, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Homer, Alaska David K. Swanson, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska Douglas Van Patten, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska Cover Looking north along the Toklat River in Denali National Park with the Wyoming Hills in the background. This area is within the Interior Alaska Mountains Major Land Resource Area (228), a part of the Interior Alaska Major Land Resource Region (X1). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
    [Show full text]
  • Alaska Park Science. Volume 14, Issue 2
    Alaska Park Science National Park Service U.S. Department of Interior Alaska Regional Office Anchorage, Alaska Birds of Alaska’s National Parks In this issue: Critical Connections: Conserving Migratory Birds 16 Black Oystercatchers in Kenai Fjords National Park 22 Glaucous-winged Gull Monitoring and Egg Harvest in Glacier Bay 34 ...and more. Volume 14, Issue 2 Table of Contents Swan Song ________________________________________________________________ 6 Avian Soundscape Ecology in Denali National Park and Preserve _______________ 8 Critical Connections: Conserving Migratory Birds in Alaska’s National Parks _______________________ 16 Black Oystercatchers in Kenai Fjords National Park: A Keystone of the Intertidal Zone __________________________________________ 22 Conserving Migratory Golden Eagles in a Rapidly Changing World: What Role Will the NPS Play? ______________________________________________ 28 Glaucous-winged Gull Monitoring and Egg Harvest in Glacier Bay, Alaska ______________________________________________________ 34 Birds of the Arctic—Simon Paneak and Laurence Irving: Collaborators in Arctic Research ____________________________________________ 40 The Birds of Bob Uhl’s Journals _____________________________________________ 46 Birding is for Everyone! ___________________________________________________ 52 Looking Back—A Heady Time for National Park Service Science in Alaska _____________________________________ 56 Cover photo: A black oyster catcher in Kenai Fjords National Park protects its eggs. NPS photo 2 National Park
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental and Cultural Overview of the Yukon Flats Region Prepared By: Kevin Bailey, USFWS Archaeologist Date: 2/12/2015 In
    Environmental and Cultural Overview of the Yukon Flats Region Prepared by: Kevin Bailey, USFWS Archaeologist Date: 2/12/2015 Introduction With a substantial population of Native people residing in their traditional homeland and living a modern traditional lifestyle, the Yukon Flats Refuge and all of the Alaskan Interior is a dynamic and living cultural landscape. The land, people, and wildlife form a tight, interrelated web of relationships extending thousands of years into the past. Natural features and human created “sites” form a landscape of meaning to the modern residents. The places and their meanings are highly relevant to modern residents, not just for people and culture but for the land. To many Gwich’in people culture is not distinct from their homeland. Although only minimally discussed in this overview, this dynamic living cultural landscape should be considered and discussed when writing about this area. Environmental Setting Containing the largest interior basin in Alaska, the Yukon Flats Refuge encompasses over 11 million acres of land in east central Alaska. Extending roughly 220 miles east-west along the Arctic Circle, the refuge lies between the Brooks Range to the north, and the White-Crazy Mountains to the south. The pipeline corridor runs along the refuge’s western boundary while the eastern boundary extends within 30 miles of the Canadian border. The Yukon River bisects the refuge, creating the dominant terrain. As many as 40,000 lakes, ponds, and streams may occur on the refuge, most concentrated in the flood plain along the Yukon and other rivers. Upland terrain, where lakes are less abundant, is the source of important drainage systems.
    [Show full text]