Tatshenshini River

Landscape in the middle reaches

The Tatshenshini River ( " Shäwshe Chu " or deed ) is a river in southwestern Yukon and northwestern British Columbia.

He is one of the few rivers that flow from east to west through the Saint Elias Mountains. In British Columbia, it flows through the Tatshenshini - Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park. After the confluence with the Alsek River in Alaska this flows in the Dry Bay, a bay of the Pacific Ocean. The Tatshenshini is a well-known river for rafting tours. Several glaciers of up to 5000 m high coastal mountains extend to the river bank. At the level 08AC002 ( ⊙ 60.118888888889-137.08444444444 ) near Dalton Post, the average outflow 29 m³ / s

History and discovery

The environment of the Tatshenshini River was originally settled by the Tlingit Indians, first European -born Americans arrived until the time of the Klondike Gold Rush, the late 19th century in the area. The now abandoned Dalton Post, a station of the historic Dalton Trail on the upper reaches of the Tatshenshini, was so far the only settlement on the river. Only the Haines Highway from Haines to Haines Junction crosses the headwaters of the river. Immediately at the mouth in the Dry Bay a fish factory is operated in the summer, some fishing and hunting camps are also located in the mouth region.

Flora and Fauna

Tatshenshini Alsek and flow in British Columbia on the Canadian side through the nature reserve Tatshenshini - Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park. The in Park Windy Craggy Mountain is also called "Copper Mountain" because of suspected high copper deposits. There are plans to reduce the natural resources in the park, environmentalists committed to consistently against the mine plans.

The main fish is the salmon; several species migrate through the relatively short river to the spawning grounds in the headwaters. As mammals to grizzly bear, moose and porcupines along the riverbank. The bald eagle nests numerous in the region. The forest is dominated by Canadian spruce and pine Jeffreys.