Alaska’s Copper River

Alaska’s Copper River has been navigated for trade and used for subsistence proposes since before the advent of recorded history. The river currently provides a rich Sockeye Salmon resource for commercial, personal use and subsistence fishermen. It is popular with paddle sports enthusiasts, offering many kayak and rafting adventures.

Location – Headwaters of the Copper River begin at the foot of Copper Glacier on the northern side of Mount Wrangell. From the glacier, the river flows some 287 miles to tidewater near Cordova and the Gulf of Alaska. The river runs through some the most rugged parts of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the Chugach and Wrangell mountains. George Herben has written book called Picture Journeys in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias that would interest visitors to the Park. Major tributaries, the Tanada, Slana, Chistochina, Sanford, Gakona, Gulkana, Tonsina, Kotsina, Chitina, Tiekel, Tasnuna, Bremner, Wernike, Allen, and Martin rivers add to its volume while reaching the Pacific Ocean. This river’s watershed drains more than 24,000 square miles of land.

Wildlife – Copper River Sockeye (Red) salmon are world renowned and form a vital part of the Alaska economy for both commercial and subsistence fishermen. Commercial fishing is the lifeblood of coastal Cordova and its fleet of gillnetters fishing the Copper River Delta. Personal use and subsistence fishermen ply the water with dip nets and fish wheels looking for the Red salmon. Popular locations along the River include Chitina and Gakona. King and Coho (Silver) salmon also migrate up the river each year. This river’s environment is home to Dall sheep, caribou, bison, moose and bear. Visiting Canada geese nest in large numbers on the river delta. Climates shift from those of the sub-arctic interior to the moist, maritime environment of Prince William Sound

History – The Copper is the homeland of the Ahtna Athabascan Natives who called the river after themselves, the Ahtna. Antna people traded raw copper with coastal Eyak, Chugash, and Tlingit populations reaching into Southeast Alaska. Russian interests for the regions copper and souls went largely unfulfilled due to poor relations with the Athna. Captain Potap Zaikov may have instigated the name change with the Russian label of Mednaia Reka or Copper River applied to the waters. American’s opened the river to transportation with construction of the Copper River & Northwestern Railroad to the mining town of Kennecott from Cordova.

River Running – Dr. Andy Embick identifies three probable runs on the Copper in his book, Fast & Cold: A Guide to Alaska Whitewater. They are Copper Glacier to Chistochina, Chistochina to Klutina, Klutina to Chitina, Chitina to Flag Point Bridge, and Flag Point Bridge to Cordova. St. Elias Alpine Guides offer a full range of rafting trips that cover the length of the Copper River.

The Future – A group of citizens interested in a healthy future for the Copper River Basin first started talking about sustainable development in 1994. They joined forces to form what is now known as the Copper River Watershed Project (CRWP). Twenty-three communities are located in the vast watershed area of the Copper and the project works to network the common values found between the towns. CRWP projects include fish habitat restoration, collection of oral histories, monitoring water quality and development of sustainable tourism plans.

Copyright © 2009 by Alan Sorum

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