Egegik River
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| Egegik River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The river begins in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge | |
  Location of the mouth of the Egegik River in Alaska | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Lake and Peninsula |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Becharof Lake |
| • location | Becharof National Wildlife Refuge |
| • coordinates | 58°02′25″N 156°50′26″W / 58.04028°N 156.84056°W[1] |
| • elevation | 14 ft (4.3 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Egegik Bay |
• location | 38 miles (61 km) southwest of Naknek, Alaska Peninsula |
• coordinates | 58°12′19″N 157°25′07″W / 58.20528°N 157.41861°W[1] |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m)[1] |
| Length | 28 mi (45 km)[1] |
The Egegik River (pronounced locally, I-ga-gik; Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Igyagiiq; translation, "swift")[3] is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. A biological survey was conducted at the base of the Alaska Peninsula in 1902 by Wilfred Hudson Osgood, which included the Egegik River.[4]
Geography
The river is located on the Alaska Peninsula. Its watershed originates in the Aleutian Range before it flows westward from Becharof Lake into Bristol Bay via Egegik Bay, an arm of Kvichak Bay. Egegik rapids are reported at the outlet of Becharof Lake.[3] The town of Egegik is situated at the mouth of the river.[3] White bluff is situated on the river's north shore, just inside Cape Chichagof at Bristol Bay.[6] The major tributaries are Kejulik River, Shosky Creek, and King Salmon River. The King Salmon River, which drains the area between Becharof and Naknek lakes, is the principal tributary to the Egegik from the north.[7] Being 60 miles (97 km) in length, it enters about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the mouth of the Egegik.[8] Becharof National Wildlife Refuge is nearby.
Ugaguk River, the outlet of Lake Becharof, flows in a westerly direction for approximately 50 miles (80 km). It empties into the Kvichak Bay approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Cape Greig with its northern entrance point at Cape Chichagof. Its tidewater extends 25 miles (40 km) up river and the river is navigable to within 10 miles (16 km) of the lake, where there is a succession of rapids.[8] At low water, a large part of the river bed is exposed with shoals, banks, and narrow, winding channels. At the mouth, shoal water extends for several miles offshore.
Fauna
Spawning of pink salmon most commonly occurs in the river in the month of August. The coho salmon spawning and rearing habitat is situated along the main stem of the river. The main stream of the river supports chum salmon. Arctic Char migrate down the river in late May. Lake Trout are found near at the lake's outlet to Egegik River.[9]