Surface Water Characteristics. The area has abundant precipitation and many small lakes and streams. Soils are generally at or near saturation most of the year. Most of the streams and rivers terminate in bays or estuaries, and fjords are common. Wetlands occupy 35 percent of the area.
Wildfire occurs only during drought periods.
Landslides and avalanches are frequent on the steeper, intergorge walls, maintaining early successional communities. The outer islands are subject to extreme winds from winter storms. In turn, windthrow is common in forests along outer coasts. The presence of human activity in the form of timber harvesting and road building is common in most areas, except for the Misty Fjords National Monument. Both Tlingit and Haida Tribes reside here.