Chugach Highlights

The Copper River Delta

Nestled between Prince William Sound to the west and the Bering Glacier to the east, the Copper River Delta is the largest continuous wetland on the Pacific Coast of North America.

Much of this incomparable wetland ecosystem is public land, managed by the Chugach National Forest. Recognizing the significance of the Copper River Delta to the fish and wildlife resources of Alaska, the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) stipulated that the delta be managed primarily for the "conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats." Throughout the National Forest System, there is only one other area with a similar congressional mandate.

This productive coastal wetland supports a rich and varied array of fish, wildlife, and human uses. Brown bears stalk the tidal marshes where trumpeter swans nest, coho salmon spawn in groundwater-fed streams, and mountain goats scale the rugged peaks. Although seemingly remote, the delta is a cosmopolitan highway for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl traveling from wintering grounds as far south as Peru, South America. In 1990, the Copper River Delta was designated as a Hemispheric Site in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.

The richness of the bird populations makes the delta a focal point for the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival. The festival, held each spring during the height of the shorebird migration, is sponsored by the Cordova Chamber of Commerce, and is supported by the Cordova Ranger District and other members of the community.

Recreation access to the wild and remote delta is enhanced by roadside interpretive facilities, hiking trails, and canoe routes, as well as the Pete Isleib Memorial Boardwalk along Alaganik Slough.

During the revision of the Chugach Land Management Plan, the Copper River gained national attention for its valuable and pristine wetlands.

 

The Russian River

Located on the very western boundary of the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula, the Russian River supports the largest recreational sport fishery in the world. Each year, more than 60,000 anglers try their luck at landing a sokeye salmon. During the height of the runs in mid-June and mid-July, anglers crowd the banks of the Russian River. At times, anglers stand elbow to elbow, the fishing here is not for those seeking peace and solitude.

Many people also stop to view the Russian River Falls and photograph the sockeye and other species of salmon that "leap" the falls on their upstream migration.

The Russian River Campground, with 83 campsites, is the largest and one of the most popular campgrounds in the Chugach National Forest. However, in many respects, the anglers are loving the Russian River to death. The heavy foot traffic along the banks has caused the deterioration of protective vegetation, resulting in bank erosion, widening of the river channel, and degradation of fish habitat.

In 1997, the Chugach National Forest started a "Streamwatch" program to restore the river bank. Each year, volunteers improve and install river access sites, construct an environmentally friendly transportation system, and walk the river, educating the public on riparian ecosystems. In addition to the Streamwatch program, the Chugach staff partners with the Youth Restoration Corps. The Corps is a nonprofit hands-on education/work organization for youth working to restore riparian areas. This successful program has restored over 36 of the most seriously impacted sites and will continue in the future.

 

Begich, Boggs Visitor Center

Located 50 miles south of Anchorage off the Seward Highway, Portage Valley is Alaska's most visited recreation area. The valley is a showcase of glacial activity with a number of small, "hanging" glaciers gracing the encircling mountains. At the end of the five-mile Portage Valley road, Portage Lake and Portage Glacier offer spectacular views. In the recent past, Portage Glacier calved enormous icebergs into the 650-foot- deep lake. However, Portage Glacier continues to recede and the massive icebergs of the past are now uncommon.

A commercial company, through a special use permit with the Forest Service, offers a tour boat excursion on Portage Lake. On the one-hour voyage, visitors have the rare opportunity to see the glacier up close. On each sailing, Forest Service interpreters provide information about glaciers and their effects on life and the landscape.

The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is located on the northern shore of Portage Lake on a terminal moraine of Portage Glacier. Visitors pass by a vibrant mural to experience and explore three distinct Chugach environments. Moving light patterns, the sounds of a rushing stream, and cool blasts of air excite the senses as visitors take a tour of the Chugach with video guides, explore life-size dioramas, or hop into a kayak for a paddle on Prince William Sound.

Interpretive programs at Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, at other valley facilities, and on the Alaska Marine Highway ferries, showcase the Chugach to a national and international audience.

 

Seward Highway

The Seward Highway, which runs between Anchorage and Seward, is a designated All American Road, the most prestigious designation in the National Scenic Byways system. This popular route provides spectacular views of Turnagain Arm, Kenai Lake and snowcapped mountains. Travelers often see beluga whales, moose, Dall sheep and bears.

About 75 miles of the highway's 127 miles pass through the Chugach National Forest. The highway is the major transportation route from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula.

Outdoor recreation is plentiful along the highway and includes gold panning, hunting, nordic skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, wildlife viewing, backcountry hiking, fishing, boating, and camping, all in one state and nine national forest campgrounds.

 

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is located in the heart of the Chugach National Forest. It is over two million acres in size and encompasses over 3,000 miles of convoluted shoreline. The snowcapped Chugach Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to this marine world of green forests and blue ice. Home to the massive Columbia Glacier, Prince William Sound has the highest concentration of tidewater glaciers (glaciers that end in the sea) in North America. The Sound is protected from raging North Pacific storms by the "big islands" of Hinchinbrook and Montague.

Today, the Sound is treasured for its spectacular scenery and natural values. The western half of the Sound is managed as a Wilderness Study Area while the eastern half of the Sound is a mix of private and public lands. The Sound also supports a valuable salmon fishery. Pink, chum, sockeye and coho salmon are harvested throughout the summer.

In March 1989, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill propelled Prince William Sound to national prominence. With eleven million gallons of crude oil dumped into the Sound, the spill was the worst in North American history. Images of heavily oiled shorelines, dead and dying wildlife, and the thousands of workers mobilized left an indelible mark on American's environmental consciousness. The spill eventually affected the western and southern part of the Sound while missing the northern and eastern areas. Since 1989 an army of researchers have been at work to understand the immediate and long-term effects of the spill. Although visitors to the Sound see little evidence of the spill, oil from the Exxon Valdez persists in the environment. Researchers in general have been amazed at the resiliency of the Sound. Many areas and species appear to have recovered. However, the long-term effects of the oil spill are not known.

In 2000, the Whittier Access Road was completed, connecting the gateway community of Whittier with the highway system. With improved access, recreational use in western Prince William Sound is expected to grow. The Chugach National Forest is actively engaged in developing carrying capacity studies for the Sound and in planning for the increased use.