These stands extend south to a general northwest-southeast dividing line running from Kupreanof Peninsula to Cape Chiniak. Southwest Kodiak Island is relatively flat and supports extensive areas of wet and moist tundra. Exposed bedrock and shallow soils prevail along the 2500-mile rugged coastline. Northwest Kodiak shows effects of glaciation, with long, narrow fjords and U-shaped valleys. These lie perpendicular to the mountains and the geologic fault lines.
Rivers typically enter at the heads of the fjords and are backed by extensive flat lands.
The east and southeast coasts of the Archipelago are characterized by shorter, wider estuarine embayments. Southwest Kodiak Island and the Trinity Islands tend toward long, continuous shorelines with few bays. Most of the sandy beaches occur on the west coast of Kodiak Island and the Trinity Islands. Offshore Areas Offshore areas include submerged lands and waters beyond mean lower low water to the limit of Kodiak Island Borough. Because of the extensive estuarine system of the Borough, offshore areas are those outside the headlands of the estuaries.