Hydrology of the lower Taiya River and the influence of the West Creek tributary, Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, Alaska
A study of the hydrology and geomorphology of the Taiya River, Alaska from the confluence of West Creek downstream to the Taiya Inlet. The Taiya River valley includes sections of the Chilkoot Trail Unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, which includes an understanding of the physical processes of the Northern Lynn Canal as part of its mission.Abstract
The Taiya River downstream from West Creek in Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park represents one of the few locations in a national park in Alaska where a non-park managed primary headwater area drains to a park stream. Most of the Taiya River and much of the narrow river valley downstream of the West Creek tributary is situated in the Chilkoot Trail Unit of the park, an area rich in history and recreational resources that also forms an important ecological corridor. The potential for hydrologically significant non-park land management actions in West Creek, exemplified by a recent proposal for a hydroelectric project, elevates the need to understand the existing hydrology of this section of the Taiya River and the hydrologic influence of West Creek. As part of the Natural Resources Preservation Program, a USGS-NPS science partnership, USGS is conducting a reconnaissance of important hydrologic and geomorphic processes in the Taiya River from the West Creek confluence downstream from which the park could request additional studies, develop monitoring plans, or conduct park planning and management. This project draws from historical streamflow and sediment data, aerial imagery, and high-resolution topgraphic data, supplemented with collection of suspended sediment data and ground observations of landforms and processes, to document features such as the timing and amount of water and sediment delivery, the geomorphic history of the West Creek fan and Taiya River channels, and river/upland connectivity.
Products
| Title | Type |
|---|---|
| Geomorphic surface and channel boundaries for the lower 7.5 kilometers of the Taiya River Valley, southeast Alaska, 2018 | Data |
Contacts
Curran, Janet H., 907-786-7128Status: onGoing
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2018
Project Sites
Collaborators
National Park ServiceLocation
Chilkoot TrailKlondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
Lynn Canal
Taiya Inlet
Taiya River
West Creek
USGS Mission Area and Program
Ecosystems → Wildlife ProgramMajor Initiatives
NPS - Natural Resource Preservation ProgramKeywords
Land Surface > GeomorphologyTerrestrial Hydrosphere > Surface Water > Discharge/Flow
Terrestrial Hydrosphere > Water Quality/Water Chemistry > Suspended Solids