Tubutulik River
| Tubutulik River | |
| Name origin: Inuit people | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Alaska |
| Region | Seward Peninsula |
| District | Nome Census Area |
| Source | Bendeleben Mountains |
| - elevation | 1,865 ft (568 m) |
| - coordinates | 65°15′49″N 162°34′57″W / 65.26361°N 162.58250°W |
| Mouth | Kwiniuk Inlet on Norton Bay |
| - location | 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Koyuk |
| - coordinates | 64°44′22″N 161°53′17″W / 64.73944°N 161.88806°WCoordinates: 64°44′22″N 161°53′17″W / 64.73944°N 161.88806°W |
| Length | 25 mi (40 km) |
 Location of the mouth of the Tubutulik River in Alaska
|
|
The Tubutulik River is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. The 25-mile (40 km) long river is situated on the Seward Peninsula. It flows southeastwards to the Kwiniuk Inlet at the northwestern end of Norton Bay, 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Koyuk in the Bering Sea. Its Inuit name was reported as "Tubuktulik" in 1849 by Capt. Mikhail Dmitrievich Tebenkov of the Imperial Russian Navy. Exploration for placer gold occurred in the Council district area where the river valley is located, and in 1898, mining commenced. The production was substantial and ranked second only to that of Nome.
The river is located on the Seward Peninsula of northwestern Alaska. It rises from the southern flank of the Bendeleben Mountains. A geological fault was noted running from the Bendeleben Mountains to the east of the river's headwater. The long waterway flows generally parallel to the mountains whereas its tributaries flow perpendicular to the mountain range. Erosion is a common phenomenon in the river valley; there are many lakes and sloughs.
The first 17–18 miles (27–29 km) of Tubutulik River, like the lower course of the Fish River, is a tortuous channel through alluvial flats built out from material that it brought down from its upper course. After the flats, there is a more restricted valley with the high hills of the Cape Darby granite area to the west and the softer forms of the limestone and schist on the east. Its course passes the mouth of Chukajak Creek. Vulcan Creek and its tributaries enter the main river from the west. Vulcan Point is located on Vulcan Creek. Continuing upstream on the Tubutulik is the lower end of a narrow canyon. Above the canyon, the stream valley broadens out again into a basin of a smaller area but otherwise similar to that of Fish River and is connected with the latter by a low pass used in winter in making the overland trip from Golovnin Bay to Kotzebue Sound. The limits of this basin can be seen from the Bendeleben Mountains. A sand spit lies opposite the mouth of the river.
...
Wikipedia