| Revision as of 18:48, 17 December 2024 editSubarcticsensing (talk | contribs)245 edits →History: slight correction on size← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:18, 17 December 2024 edit undoSubarcticsensing (talk | contribs)245 editsm citation fixNext edit → | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
| | subdivision_name5 = | | subdivision_name5 = | ||
| <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | ||
| | length = {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=tuck>{{cite report |title=The Valdez Creek Mining District Alaska, in 1938 |last1=Tuck |first1=Ralph |date=1938 |url=https://dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usgs/b/text/b0897b.pdf |publisher=United States Department of the Interior |
| length = {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=tuck>{{cite report |title=The Valdez Creek Mining District Alaska, in 1938 |last1=Tuck |first1=Ralph |date=1938 |url=https://dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usgs/b/text/b0897b.pdf |publisher=United States Department of the Interior |access-date=13 December 2024}}</ref> | ||
| | width_min = | | width_min = | ||
| | width_avg = | | width_avg = | ||
Revision as of 19:18, 17 December 2024
River in Alaska, United States| Valdez Creek | |
|---|---|
  Location of the mouth of the Valdez Creek in Alaska | |
| Native name | C'ilaan Na' (Tanaina) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| District | Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Grogg Lake |
| • location | Clearwater Mountains, Hayes Range |
| • coordinates | 63°13′00″N 147°5′16″W / 63.21667°N 147.08778°W / 63.21667; -147.08778 |
| Mouth | Susitna River |
| • coordinates | 63°9′38″N 147°29′57″W / 63.16056°N 147.49917°W / 63.16056; -147.49917 |
| • elevation | 2,467 ft (752 m) |
| Length | 15 mi (24 km) |
Valdez Creek (Dena'ina: C'ilaan Na') is a small headwater tributary of the Susitna River in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is also home to several gold mines, one of which was the largest placer gold mine in North America and has seen mining activity since the late 1890s.
Geography
The streams headwaters start at Grogg Lake, in the Clearwater Mountains, a subrange of the Alaska Range. It flows in a general southwesterly direction for about 15 miles (24 km) until it reaches the Susitna River a few miles north of the Denali Highway. It flows from Grogg Lake, through a glacial valley and it joined by several of its tributaries, but none are longer than 6 miles. The majority of Valdez Creek's drainage area is above the tree line. After flowing through a narrow canyon that is 30–150 ft (9.1–45.7 m) deep, it joins the Susitna River in its broad valley.
It is approximately 160 miles (260 km) north-northwest of Valdez, or 120 miles (190 km) directly south of Fairbanks. It is located nearly halfway between the Richardson Highway and the Alaska Railroad, 60 miles west and 50 miles east, respectively.
Valdez Creek has cut its present channel through deep gravels and has intrenched itself in the underlying schist bed rock.
History
Disappointed by failures of prospecting around Sunrise on the Kenai Peninsula, W.G. Jack and his party followed the Susitna River to its headwaters, the first recorded non-natives to do so. Gold was reportedly first discovered by the party at a creek called "Galina" by the natives in the area. His party named the creek "Swollen Creek" after the healthy mosquito population that lived in the area that had given them numerous bites that became swollen. However, they were forced to abandon the area due to low provisions and looming winter. Placer deposits were rediscovered on August 15, 1903 by Peter Monahan's party, and it was renamed to Valdez Creek, in honor of their hometown of Valdez. Mining was restricted at the time to two localities on the stream—Lucky Gulch and the vicinity of Discovery claim at the mouth of Willow Creek. A hydraulic plant was installed on Valdez Creek below Willow Creek in 1908 with about 120 men engaged in mining on Valdez Creek during that summer.
In 1992, the main mine operated by Cambior Alaska Inc. was the largest placer mine in North America. Between 1984 and 1995, it was the largest gold mine in Alaska in 11 of those 12 years, however it was closed in September of that last year.
Up to 2012, a total of over 530,000 oz have been produced from the Valdez Creek area, with the vast majority of the gold being placer deposits. Despite being actively mined since the start of the 20th century, the mother lode for the gold has not been found as of 2023.
See also
References
- ^ "Valdez Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. March 31, 1981. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Tuck, Ralph (1938). The Valdez Creek Mining District Alaska, in 1938 (PDF) (Report). United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Brooks, Alfred Hulse (1909). Mineral Resources of Alaska: Report on Progress of Investigations in 1908 (Public domain ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 157–.
- ^ Dessauer, Peter; Harvey, David (March 1980). An Historical Resource Study of the Valdez Creek Mining District, Alaska-1997 (Report). US Bureau of Land Management.
- ^ Balen, Michael (1991). Executive Summary of the Bureau of Mines Investigations in the Valdez Creek Mining District, Alaska (Report). US Bureau of Mines. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- Site Visit Report: Valdez Creek Mine (PDF) (Report). US Environmental Protection Agency. 1992. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- Swainbank, R.C.; Bundtzen, T.K.; Clough, A.H.; Henning, M.W. (1996). Alaska's Mineral Industry 1996 (Report) (51 ed.). Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- Suhey, Jane (December 2023). Exploring Competing Gold System Models in the Valdez Creek Region, Clearwater Mountains, Alaska (MSc thesis). University of Alaska Fairbanks.
63°09′38″N 147°29′57″W / 63.1606°N 147.4992°W / 63.1606; -147.4992
This article related to a river in Alaska is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |