Alagnak Wild River Alagnak Wild River

An Illustrated Guide to the Cultural History

of the Alagnak Wild River

An Illustrated Guide to the Cultural History

of the Alagnak Wild River
Purpose and Use of Guide

People of the area have used the Alagnak River and its natural resources for many hundreds of

years. Evidence of prehistoric settlements, historic fish camps and cabins, as well as an

abandoned contact-era village with a Russian Orthodox Church and cemetery, dot the landscape.

The combination of natural and cultural resources represents an invaluable part of our shared

heritage. The purpose of this guide is to help visitors appreciate and enjoy the Alagnak’s

distinctive cultural history. This guide is not intended for navigational use.

i

A circa 1912 John Thwaites photograph of a

Yup’ik cache on Nushagak Bay, perhaps near

Snag Point (modern-day Dillingham). The

cache was made of hand hewn white spruce

logs with square notched corners and a sod

roof. Photo courtesy of John Thwaites

Collection-0132-549, Special Collection

Division, University of Washington Libraries.

Facing page: Elbert E. Sargent prospecting

along the Alagnak in 1947. Photo courtesy

of Joanne E. Sargent-Wolverton.
 Alagnak Wild River

The Alagnak Wild River meanders through a unique landscape of open tundra, spruce forests,

and dramatic canyon walls. Established as a Wild River in 1980, the Alagnak is rich in cultural

history, physical beauty, and natural resources. Here, evidence of past and present people

intermingles along the banks of rolling tundra and among diverse populations of fish and wildlife.

Today, the Alagnak is used by visitors and residents for recreational and subsistence activitiesprimarily fishing and angling, camping, gathering, rafting, paddling, and hunting. Whichever

activity you choose, the Alagnak River provides a rare opportunity to connect with history and the

surrounding landscape. So fasten your life-vest and get ready to enjoy the Alagnak Wild River!

The

1
The Alagnak is a clear free-flowing river that drains an area of 3,600 square kilometers (2,237 square

miles) and empties into the Kvichak River near Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska. The river and its

major tributary, the Nonvianuk River, flow westward from lakes located within Katmai National Park and

Preserve. Headwaters of the 127 kilometer (km or 79 miles [mi]) long river and its tributary are Kukaklek

and Nonvianuk Lakes, respectively. The Alagnak is managed free of impoundments and diversions. It is

inaccessible by road, its shorelines are primitive, and its water unpolluted.

In the local language the word alagnak means, “making mistakes.” According to a life-long area resident,

“the channel is always changing, causing mistakes and getting lost.” Every year the river changes and

branches which is why it is known locally as “the Branch River.” The Yup’ik people pronounced Alagnak

as “Ah-lock-anok.” Euroamericans anglicized its pronunciation as Lockanok. The Alagnak River was first

documented by the Russian Captain Tebenkov in 1852.

2

River The

Midriver braided channel.
The upper 108 km (67 mi) of the Alagnak, including

the two upper branches, were designated a Wild

River in 1980 by Title VI, Section 601(25 and 44) of

the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

(ANILCA) and is managed by the National Park

Service (NPS) according to the provisions of the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. All

but the lower 29 km (18 mi) of the river have been

designated Wild River status.

The NPS manages the River to:

Protect and enhance the River as a dynamic

ecosystem by maintaining its free flowing

nature and preserving water quality,

Preserve the outstanding natural values on the

River that include its natural channels and

flow, naturally occurring fish and wildlife

populations, cultural resources, and its

peaceful and scenic character for the benefit

and enjoyment of future generations, and

Preserve the outstanding values on the River of

subsistence and recreation that are

compatible with the other values for which

the River was designated.

3

Designation River

Land ownership along the river is a checkerboard of

public and private property; therefore, river users

should not assume that every “pull-out” is open to

public use. There are currently no established

campgrounds. It is recommended that river users

consult a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land

status map to ensure property rights are observed.

Ownership Land

Marsh marigold
Ice from the last Ice Age

receded from the Alagnak River

drainage well before 12,000

years ago.

12,000 b.p.

9,000 b.p.

2,500 b.p.

Pottery made of local clay and tempered

with hair or down, and later with sand or

gravel, is common in sites on the Alaska

Peninsula beginning 2,500 years ago.

2,200 b.p.

Most of the village sites along the banks

of the Alagnak are less than 2,200 years

old. The reconstructed ceramic vessel

(shown above) from Alagnak site DIL161 has a flat-bottom and is 7.5 inches

high. It is about 2,100 years old.

Present day

Cultural evidence of people who occupied the

river banks and lake outlets since the last ice

age, is found on the surface of the glacial drift

and outwash deposits at the lake outlets. Some

evidence of camp sites near the headwaters

may be as much as 9,000 years old.

Past Prehistoric

4

The human history of the Alagnak Wild River drainage is a rich and complex story that is beginning to

unfold through the combined efforts of Native residents, archeologists, historians, and ethnographers.

The story begins sometime after the close of the last great Ice Age 14,000 years ago, when glacial ice

receded from the region and plants, animals, and finally early Americans colonized the pristine landscape

over a period of some millennia. Archeologists don’t know who the first people were to see this landscape

or when they first set foot here. We will never know what language they spoke or what their belief

systems were, yet, we can learn about aspects of their lives from the remains of their camps. Their traces

are extremely rare and fragile. We ask that you help us protect these resources by leaving the ground or

objects you might find undisturbed.

At the headwaters of the Alagnak, archeologists have found the remains of small camps whose occupants

must have practiced a mixed economy of hunting, gathering, and probably some fishing. Based on the

tools left behind (which are similar to those that have been radiocarbon dated elsewhere) people probably

used these camps about 9,000 years ago. Stone tools they expertly fashioned from carefully prepared

cores include long thin blades of varying sizes (shown below). Side-notched points

found in the same area were hafted or fastened to spears and launched using a

throwing board or atlatl by caribou hunters as early as 7,000 years ago.

Microblade cores at near right

and microblades at far right.

6

PrehistoricPast
DIL-161 Archeological Site

Although we know that the area must certainly have been occupied, there is up to a 5,000 year gap in the

archeological record along the Alagnak Wild River until the settlement of winter villages about 2,300

years ago. Recent archeological investigations at one of these villages have shown that the large size

and extent of the settlement results from a series of separate occupations spanning 1,100 years (see

map below). This was a time of rapid and unpredictable climatic and cultural change, beginning with a

widespread cold snap when houses were correspondingly large, single-roomed, multifamily dwellings

heated by a central hearth. The use of outdoor, underground cold storage caches was probably adopted

at this time. Occupation continued at this site through a warm spike called the Medieval Warm Period

and ended at the beginning of another cold period called the Little Ice Age. Remains of small chipped

stone points indicate that the bow and arrow replaced the use of darts and the atlatl during this period

(see page 8).

Severe erosion of the streambank fronting site DIL-161

makes this one of the most

threatened sites along the

Alagnak corridor.

DIL-161 Archeological Site

Prehistoric Feature

Prehistoric Feature

Historic Feature

(boundary indistinct)

1 Meter Contour

2004 Excavation

Private Land Boundary

Alagnak River

site datum

Lake Clark Katmai Studies Center

National Park Service, October 2004

Data Source, National Park Service GIS

B. Bundy

0 10 20 meters
8

An archeologist, who braved isolation and a cold

rainy summer in a tent to investigate this site in

2004, was impressed by the contrasting comfort

that prehistoric villagers must have experienced in

their well-built homes. She wrote:

The past people could catch salmon in the

summer, either with a net across the river, or by

traveling up to the lakes and spearing or trapping

the fish in shallow water. In the fall, the berries are

ready for picking, and the caribou are migrating

through. A family that dried or smoked [or froze]

salmon, berries and caribou meat could feast on

their bounty through the winter, and supplement

their stores by ice fishing and trapping smaller

mammals like beavers. Maybe the short winter days

were passed by sewing clothing, making tools and

mending nets, and the long nights spent dancing

and socializing in their snug, sturdy homes.

The Alagnak River corridor was not abandoned

during the Little Ice Age, which ended about 150

years ago. Archeologists have recorded camps and

villages all along the Alagnak that were used during

the last cold period and through the time of contact

with Russian traders and missionaries. The

Alagnak Wild River drainage was a homeland to

Native people until the late nineteenth century

when they moved to new settlements for

commercial opportunities.

Above: Archeologists

working at site DIL-161

along the Alagnak River.

Right: Small arrow point.
L. Brooks

Region

79

Map Region

L. Brooks
Alagnak Wild River - Katmai National Park and Preserve

Kvichak River

10

Overview

Hallersville

Levelock
Kukaklek Lake

Nonvianuk Lake

Nonvianuk River

Alagnak River

Confluence

Private Land

Katmai Boundary

Alagnak Wild River

11

Katmai Boundary

Katmai Boundary
Koggiung village orphans during the

summer of 1919 on the lower Kvichak River.

The 1918 Spanish flu epidemic was first

noticed at Koggiung on May 23, 1919 and

raged until June 16th, killing 39 people and

leaving 16 orphans. Sisters, Nina Klein

Kraun and Mary Klein Kraun, are second

and third from left, respectively. Annie

Klein Aspelund is probably fourth from left.

Photo courtesy of Vickie Herrmann.

A diversity of ethnic groups now comprises the communities in the Bristol Bay, Alagnak, and Illiamna

regions. At contact Native residents were Alutiiq and Central Yup’ik speakers. People lived in small,

closely-knit kinship-based communities and shared a similar lifestyle of subsistence hunting, fishing, and

trapping. Hardships of weather, isolation, and a significant lack of modern conveniences bound

communities together. Marriages, which were arranged by parents, usually depended on social status

and were matriarchal in nature. Arranged marriages continued into the early part of the 20th century and

served in part to enhance economic opportunities and to maintain strong familial ties with neighboring

villages.

12

Traditional Lifestyle Portrait of
Games were also an important aspect of life. Though fun and entertaining, games were considered

excellent preparation of youngsters for life on the river. “Congregations of children and adults usually

resulted in some kind of competition.” Kayak races were particularly popular.

Dancing, singing, and story-telling further connected people to their communities and to their ancestors.

Folktales tell of many strange beings that still inhabit the area, though rarely spoken about today. One

traditional story often retold was that of the Little People. These magical creatures were believed to

change forms, move mountains, and dwell in tall grassy meadows. However friendly, they were thought

to capture humans and keep them for what appeared to be a short period of time while in reality many

decades of the person’s life may have passed. Another popular legend was that of a giant pike that

inhabited the waters of Nonvianuk Lake chasing residents crossing the lake in their moose hide canoes.

Spring beaver trapping along the Alagnak

River in 1938-1939. From left to right: Vivian

O’Neill, an unidentified woman, Eau Andrew,

John Knutsen, and two unidentified boys. The

Knutsen and Andrew families lived on the

Alagnak River and summered on the Kvichak

River. Photo courtesy of Alex Tallekpalek.
0

11.5 km

Headwaters of Alagnak River at Kukaklek Lake

From the Kukaklek Lake outlet to the Canyon (p. 16) the first

9.5 km (about 6 mi) flow slowly through rolling tundra. As the

river enters the valley it becomes increasingly narrow and

eventually hemmed in by a vertical rock wall canyon. In this

section, the valley and canyon are densely covered by white

spruce forest.

 Kukaklek Lake

14

The river kilometers provided

above are approximate figures.
The traditional subsistence fish harvest consisted primarily of salmon and blackfish. Blackfish were often

caught using handmade traps constructed of thin strips of wood tied to boiled spruce roots. The trap was

designed in such a way that fish could swim in freely but not out. Salmon were harvested and cured

seasonally at fish camps. Harvesting wild salmon at fish camps is still an important subsistence activity of

many local residents.

15

In late May or early June, residents hunted

beluga whales in Bristol Bay. Bird eggs,

sourdock, wild celery, and fiddlehead ferns

were gathered for personal consumption. In

summer, fish were caught for smoking,

drying and freezing for the winter. In the

past, fish were even stored in underground

pits for the preparation of fermented fish

heads, a local delicacy. This practice has

largely been discontinued due to the risk of

botulism. As colder weather approached,

residents collected salmon berries, blackberries (also known as crowberries) and

blueberries for winter use. Moose, caribou,

and bear were hunted after the animals had

grown fat from a brief season of plentiful

food. In winter, smelt, trout, and grayling

were harvested by ice fishing.

Salmon are traditionally dried on fish racks

constructed with white spruce poles and an

assortment of driftwood.
11.5 km

23 km

River speeds pick up to 11-13 kph

(7-8 mph) as the canyon becomes

progressively deeper

(up to 200 feet).

Visitors can expect between

Class I - Class III rapids at the

heart of the canyon. During

average water levels, the rocky

rapids are generally negotiable in

a 12-13 foot raft.

The upper Alagnak is not recommended

for inexperienced rafters or small rafts,

especially during high water conditions.

A boat cannot be lined-through these

rapids; however it is possible, although

difficult, to portage by ascending the

gorge.

The Canyon

16
The abundance of large game species such as moose has increased over the last century, perhaps due

to changes in vegetation. Historic subsistence hunting of moose was much more difficult as this species

was once less common. In the event that a moose was harvested, the hunter would construct a kayak on

site using the fresh hide (as well as some wolverine) to transport the meat. Assembling a kayak in this

manner usually took two to three days to complete. Although kayak building was an exhaustive

undertaking, in this case the benefits were twofold: the hunter was assured of food and transportation.

Kayaking was the primary means of transportation during open water. Dogsleds were used in the winter

once the river was frozen.

Subsistence trapping was also an important activity. Mink, otter, martin, beaver, fox, wolf, lynx, wolverine,

rabbit, weasel, and squirrel were trapped for their furs. Furs may have been sold outright or used for

clothing. Today some trapping still occurs to supplement income by selling furs to lodges

and tourists.

This photo taken in the 1930s shows

one moose hide boat in the foreground

and a two-hatch kayak, as well as a

plank skiff in the background.
23 km 35 km

Confluence

Confluence of Alagnak and Nonvianuk Rivers

a3

Several kilometers before the confluence

with the Nonvianuk, the floodplain widens

and the bluffs diminish in elevation.

Nonvianuk River

Alagnak River

18

Thimbleberry
In 1900 the North Alaska Salmon Company built two canneries near the junction of the Alagnak and

Kvichak Rivers. The cannery at the river mouth became known as Lockanok and the other cannery, 1000

feet upstream on the Kvichak River, was called Hallerville, in honor of J.P. Haller, president of the

company. The two canneries were connected by a narrow gauge railroad that brought salmon from

Hallerville to be processed at the Lockanok plant.

The Alagnak River was not only used by Yup’ik people from the Kvichak River but also from the Nushagak

and even Yukon and Kuskokwim drainages, a testament of its rich subsistence resources during the

historic period. In addition, availability of commercial fishing jobs at Kvichak canneries also attracted

subsistence users from as far away as the Yukon River. Cash income from the commercial salmon

industry allowed Alagnak subsistence users to purchase more store-bought food, such as coffee, tea,

sugar, and salt.

The Libby, McNeill and Libby cannery at

Lockanok was built in 1900 at the mouth of

the Alagnak River by the North Alaska

Salmon Company from San Francisco.

The cannery reportedly burned in 1937.

Photo circa 1920-1930.

20th Century The
NPS Ranger cabin

0

9 km

Headwaters of Nonvianuk River

The 17.5 km (about 11 mi) from Nonvianuk Lake

outlet to the confluence are characterized by

Class I rapids with moderately swift 8 kph

(5 mph) single-channeled flat water.

During low water conditions Class II rapids

may be encountered 6.5-8 km (4-5 mi)

from the lake outlet.

Nonvianuk Lake

Nonvianuk River

20

Facing page: This photo shows Okalina

Nelson, Pat Andrew, and John Nelson (from

left to right) at Eau Andrew’s house on the

Branch River or at Levelock, circa 1940.

Many frame houses on the lower Alagnak and

Kvichak Rivers were constructed of salvaged

lumber from abandoned canneries.

Royal Wolf Lodge
Historically there had been many villages and

cabins at various locations on the Alagnak River,

including near the forks of the Alagnak and

Nonvianuk Rivers and another village known as

“Sleepy Town” on the right side downstream from

the forks. Apparently, some of the houses in these

settlements were traditional semi-subterranean and

some were above ground log houses. Branch River

village was the last historic settlement on the river

and was abandoned by the 1960s. It was located

about 4.8 km (3 mi) above the Alagnak-Kvichak

confluence on the north side of the river. Some of

the families who lived at the village or who were

dispersed along the river were: the Andrews, the

Chukwoks, the Tallekpaleks, the Apokedaks, the

O’Neills, the Frenchie Brooks, Lars Olson, the Guy

“Sonny” Groat, Jr. family, and the George

Petersons. Previously, Peterson, a crack marksman, had worked for Father Bernard Hubbard in his

explorations around the Alaska Peninsula. The

Branch River was the site of the Saint Innocent

Russian Orthodox church, which was last visited by

a priest from Newhalen in the 1950s.

Another small historic community, Lockanok, was

located about one and a half miles up river from the

Lockanok cannery. Lockanok village consisted of a

few Euroamerican fishermen who also trapped and

prospected and who built framed houses made

from salvaged cannery lumber and sided with sheet

iron.

21
18.5 km

9 km

Approximately 11.5 km (about 7 mi)

from the headwaters of Nonvianuk

Lake, the Nonvianuk River joins the

Alagnak River at the confluence.

Area of confluence

Alagnak River

Confluence of Alagnak and Nonvianuk Rivers

Nonvianuk River

Blue flag iris

22
Information from local Native elders has revealed that the Lockanok village site contains a mass grave of

Spanish flu epidemic victims. The adult population of two nearby Kvichak villages, Koggiung and

Kaskanak were also decimated by the Spanish flu of 1919.

Some of the men who lived at the village were Martin Monsen, Jr., Simeon Larson, Charlie Olson,

Frenchy Rosseau and his son Oscar Rosseau, Harry Langord, and Billy Gleason. The Canadian-born

Rosseau frequently prospected the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Katmai National Monument and

the Irish-born Gleason had long been a Portage Creek, Lake Clark placer gold miner since about 1913.

The Euroamericans copied their Native neighbors in dividing their time in seasonal economic pursuits:

trapping in the fall and winter, cannery work in the spring, and commercial fishing in the summer.

Pomela Benet Fischer or “Yukon Pom” (1920-

1991) with her son, Jerry Benet, near Branch

River village in 1947. Pomela was born on the

lower Kuskokwim River at Old Napaimiut to a

Yup’ik mother and French Canadian father.

Pomela was a lifelong subsistence gatherer

who was known for her excellent smoked

salmon and dog teams. Photo courtesy of

Joanne E. Sargent-Wolverton.

23
43 km

The river section shown above

starts 22 km (13.5 mi) from the

outlet of Kukaklek Lake and approximately 1.5-2 km (about 1 mi) past

the confluence of the Alagnak and

the Nonvianuk Rivers (see inset).

Beyond the Confluence

Islands Abound! In the 21 km (13 mi) below

the confluence, islands become numerous

and there are generally one or two obvious

main channels.

Confluence area from page 18.

35 km

35 km

Alagnak

Nonvianuk

Alagnak River

24
In 1916 Libby, McNeill & Libby purchased both the

Lockanok and Hallerville canneries from the North

Alaska Salmon Company. Kvichak River erosion

and shifting channels rendered Hallerville

inoperable in the early twentieth century but the

Lockanok cannery ran until 1936 when a change in

the Kvichak channel made it impossible to operate

economically and much of the plant burned in 1937.

Subsequently, much of the usable cannery lumber

was salvaged and used for homes in the nearby

Kvichak River village of Levelock. Salvage efforts

were so thorough that entire buildings were moved

over the ice of the frozen Kvichak River to

Levelock.

Lockanok cannery was built in 1900 by the North Alaska

Salmon Company near the confluence of the Alagnak and

Kvichak Rivers. Photo courtesy of Violet Willson.

25
43 km

50 km

Alagnak River

26

Alaskan brown bear--

 a possible sighting.

Alaska Trophy Adventure Lodge
One of the most significant historical events in Bristol Bay history occurred in June 1927 when pilot

Russell Merrill of Anchorage Air Transport flew a Travel Air to Lockanok cannery marking the first airplane

landing in the Bristol Bay region. This was a transformative event that would effectively lead to a new era

of air transport for this formerly inaccessible region.

By the 1960s and early 1970s all the Alagnak families had left Branch River village for nearby

communities of Levelock, Igiugig, Kokhanok, and Naknek. The modern world with all its opportunities

and pressures had intruded on isolated Branch River village. Since children were now required to attend

school most families moved to Levelock where the closest school existed.

A view upstream along the intertwining channels of the Alagnak

River at a popular ending point for

rafters. Photo courtesy of Janet

Curran, United States Geological

Survey (USGS).
50 km

58 km

Braided Water

The next 24 km (15 mi) of the river are braided.

Selecting a main channel and avoiding “sweepers”

in this section requires constant attention and

quick maneuvering.

28
Presently, Natives from surrounding villages, many

with deep roots on the river, use the Alagnak for

subsistence hunting, fishing, and trapping

activities. In addition, there are a number of

lodges on the Alagnak and a great amount of sport

fishing effort.

29

Big game guide Bud Branham stated that he had

guided hunters and sport fishermen on the Alagnak

as early as 1937. New York sportsman and writer,

Dan Holland, writing in the April 1941 issue of Field

& Stream magazine, probably made the first

mention of the Alagnak River as a great trophy

rainbow trout stream. Sport fishing on the Alagnak

dates mostly from the post WWII era. The major

guides of this era were Bud and Dennis Branham,

John Walatka, Ed Seiler, Sonny Groat, Jay

Hammond, and Dean Paddock of King Salmon in

the 1960s. Hammond first saw the Alagnak River

when he flew to Nonvianuk Lake with guide Bud

Branham to visit Bill Hammersley in 1946 or 1947.

Between 1940 and 1945, Rufus Knox “Bill”

Hammersley and his wife Margaret constructed a

cabin, cache, and root cellar near the outlet of

Nonvianuk Lake. A resident of Alaska since 1926,

Small islands and gravel bars dot the Alagnak upstream

from the Braids. Photo courtesy of Janet Curran, USGS.

Bill fished in Bristol Bay, worked as a manager of

the nearby Northern Consolidated Airlines camp,

and trapped, hunted, and guided throughout the

area. In 1957 Hammond had an arrangement with

John Tallekpalek to use his cabin while guiding

sport fishermen on the Alagnak River. Bob Cusack

established the first lodge, a restored cannery

galley-scow that was towed up the Alagnak from

Naknek about 1973.
Braided Water

65.5 km

30

Most rafting parties complete their trip near

Estrada’s Camp (also known as the

Cutbank), or Grassy Point which is private

property, and should either arrange for

pick-up on the opposite side of the river or

downstream.

Estrada’s

Camp Brackets indicate general

pull-out area.

77 km
65.5 km

 58 km

31

A variety of wildlife, including cranes,

 gather in and along the river to feed.
32

The cabins that appear along the Alagnak were generally used by trappers or subsistence hunters.

Traditionally, a few of these cabins were considered “open” to passers-by, if unoccupied by the rightful

owner, with an understanding that the cabin would be left as it was found. However, evidence of

vandalism has taken its toll on these historic structures. In particular, dismantling cabins for firewood has

become a serious threat the future of some structures. Please explore and enjoy historic sites but leave

them as you have found them. We all share the responsibility of protecting and preserving important

cultural resources for others to enjoy.

HistoricStructures

 Mary’s Camp along the Alagnak

River. Clumps of vegetation slide

down the eroding bank as the river

moves closer to these historic

structures. Photo courtesy of Janet

Curran, USGS.

32
Sites are places where people lived, camped,

or conducted other activity.

Graves, marked or unmarked, are the locations

of human remains and may be Native or

non-native.

Deposits are accumulations of refuse in and

around a dwelling place. Typically, these

deposits consist of shell fragments, fish

bones, animal bones, charcoal, broken

tools, fire-cracked rocks, tin cans, or other

household debris.

Structures, ruins, and buildings are such things

as cabins, cabin foundations, aircraft,

boats, fish weirs, drive lines or fences,

semi-subterranean house depressions, or

cache pits.

Artifacts typically consist of tools and

household items (made of wood, bone,

ivory, stone, metal, glass, or plastic), art

objects, and pottery (including Native

made).

Fossils are any remains, impressions, or other

trace of an animal or plant that was once

buried and may now look rock-like.

Preservation

Heating rocks outside a steambath on an open

fire before taking them into the bath at left.

Photo circa 1920s -1930s at Branch River.

33

What are prehistoric, historic, and/or

archeological remains?
89 km

101.5 km

The Cutbank to the Corridor’s End

From the vicinity of Estrada’s Camp the character of the

river changes. The last 19 km (12 mi) of the designated

Alagnak Wild River Corridor flow through several large

channels and make finding a route much less difficult.

34

Branch River Lodge
The delicate Single Delight

may be seen growing along the river.

89 km

77 km

35

 Katmai Lodge
Please observe and enjoy but do not touch, move, collect, or otherwise disturb artifacts, cultural

sites, or paleontological materials (fossils). If you find cultural material or fossils:

Record the location on a map or make a sketch map referencing prominent landmarks.

Take compass bearings or note general compass orientation.

Estimate site size.

Photograph the artifacts or fossils in place. Include an object for scale. Photograph the site area

and the surrounding landscape.

Note any human or natural disturbances to the site.

Report any information to either address below:

Cultural Resources Manager

National Park Service

240 West 5th Avenue

Anchorage, Alaska 99501

907/271-1383 (until 12/2005)

Cultural Resources Protection of

Chief Ranger

Katmai National Park & Preserve

P.O. Box 7

King Salmon, Alaska 99613

907/246-3305

36
Safeguarding Cultural Resources

The unauthorized collection or destruction of cultural resources (any historic, prehistoric, or archeological)

or paleontological [fossil] resources on lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government is prohibited

by law and may carry serious criminal (felony) and civil penalties. Do not dig impromptu privies or fire pits

that may disturb buried cultural deposits.

Respect Private Property

Although the National Park Service administers the Alagnak Wild River there are many parcels of private

property along the river corridor. Some owners have marked their property with “No Trespassing” signs;

others have not. It is important to know where you can legally camp. All cabin sites should be considered

private property. Visitors should obtain a BLM land status map intended for navigational purposes to

insure that you do not trespass or camp on private property.

According to local resident, “Auntie”

Roehl, this photo was taken at Diamond J, (Alaska Packers Association)

cannery at Koggiung on the Kvichak

River. Some individuals in the photo

include: Maxie”Black Maxie” Evan (at

left), Mary Newyaka (center) holding

her first baby (a girl) with her first

husband, Boukawal.
101.5 km

118 km

Alagnak River

Fiddlehead ferns--

 a traditional subsistence f ood.

38
One of the greatest threats to archeological sites along the riverbank is erosion. Erosion of riverbanks

from river currents and waves is a natural process. However, increased wave action due to motorboats

has become a serious concern over the years with an increase in park visitation. Actively eroding and

denuded riverbanks are especially vulnerable to further wave action as high banks composed of loose

sand and gravel are undercut. Visitors using motorboats can help reduce continued erosion by

significantly slowing their craft in areas where erosion is evident.

Erosion Impact of

Eroding riverbanks threaten important

cultural resources. Reducing motorboat

speed can help protect streambanks from

further damage. Photo courtesy of Janet

Curran, USGS.

39
118 km

127 km

Confluence with the Kvickak River

Kvichak River

40

Rafters enjoy a wide channel downstream

from the Cutbank, approximately 85 river

kilometers (53 mi) from the mouth.

Photo courtesy of Janet Curran, USGS.

Alagnak River
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Katmai National Park and Preserve/

Alagnak Wild River

P.O. Box 7

King Salmon, Alaska 99613

The Lake Clark-Katmai Studies Center, established in 1999, is a research and curatorial facility for the

museum collections of Katmai National Park and Preserve, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve

and the Alagnak Wild River. The center supports the Cultural Resource Program for these parks with

responsibilities that include stewardship of historic buildings, museum collections, archeological sites,

cultural landscapes, oral and written histories, and ethnographic resources.

Our mission is to identify, evaluate, and preserve the cultural resources of the park areas and to bring an

understanding of these resources to the public. Congress has mandated that we preserve these resources

Text written by Susan Kedzie-Webb,

Jeanne Schaaf, Martha Olympic Crow,

and John Branson.

Illustrations and design by Susan Kedzie-Webb.

The Earliest Americans on page 5 was illustrated

by Wood Ronsaville Harlin, Inc. January 2006.

because they are important components of our national and personal identities.