Copper River (Alaska)
| Copper River | |
|---|---|
A fisherman (bottom center) dipnetting for salmon on the Copper River at Chitina in Southcentral Alaska | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Copper Glacier on Mount Wrangell |
| • coordinates | 62°10′39″N 143°49′05″W / 62.17750°N 143.81806°W |
| • elevation | 4,380 ft (1,340 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Copper Bay of Pacific Ocean |
• coordinates | 60°23′19″N 144°57′39″W / 60.38861°N 144.96083°W |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 290 mi (470 km) |
| Basin size | 24,000 mi2 (62,000 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 57,400 cu ft/s (1,630 m3/s) at mouth |
The Copper River or Ahtna River (/ˈɑːtnə/; Ahtena: ‘Atna’tuu [ʔatʰnaʔtʰuː], "river of the Ahtnas"; Tlingit: Eeḵhéeni [ʔìːq.híː.nì]), "river of copper", is a 290-mile (470 km) river in south-central Alaska in the United States. It drains a large region of the Wrangell Mountains and Chugach Mountains into the Gulf of Alaska. It is known for its extensive delta ecosystem, as well as for its prolific runs of wild salmon, which are among the most highly prized stocks in the world. The river is the tenth largest in the United States, as ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth.