Tanana River

The Tanana River is a major tributary of the Yukon River. It is located in the U.S. state of Alaska. A tributary is a smaller river that flows into a larger one. The name of this river has different meanings depending on the source. Linguist William Bright noted the name comes from the Koyukon Athabaskan language. In that language, it means "trail river." However, the explorer William Dall translated the name differently. He called it the "River of Mountains."

The river begins at a specific meeting point of other waters. Its headwaters are at the confluence of the Chisana and Nabesna rivers. This location is just north of Northway in eastern Alaska. From there, the Tanana flows in a northwest direction. It stays near the border of the Yukon Territory. The river runs along the northern slope of the Alaska Range. It also runs roughly parallel to the Alaska Highway.

As the river moves through central Alaska, the landscape changes. It enters a lowland marsh region called the Tanana Valley. This valley is a wide, wet area. The river passes to the south of the city of Fairbanks. Many large tributaries join the Tanana in these marsh regions. The Nenana River joins it near the city of Nenana. The Kantishna River is another significant tributary. The river eventually passes the village of Manley Hot Springs. It finally empties into the Yukon River near the town of Tanana.

Human history in this watershed is very old. People have lived in the Yukon basin for more than 12,000 years. Scientists have found sites showing occupation by Paleo-Arctic people. Later, the Tanana tribe established a presence in the region. They have lived there for 1,200 years. In the late 1800s, explorers began mapping the area. Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka entered the Yukon watershed via Canada in 1883. In 1885, Lieutenant Henry Tureman Allen led the first recorded exploration of the Tanana. His goal was to find an all-Alaska route to the Yukon. His party spent five months mapping the Copper, Tanana, and Koyukuk rivers.

The river is also famous for its winter ice. In the winter, ice accumulates on the river. Near Nenana, the ice reaches a high average maximum thickness. This ice leads to a unique tradition called the Nenana Ice Classic. This event began in 1917 as a guessing game. People pay $3.00 to guess the exact date and minute of the spring ice break-up. To track this, a tripod is planted in the ice in October or November. The tripod is connected to a clock on the shore. When the spring thaw causes the ice to move, the tripod moves too. This stops the clock. The break-up date usually falls between April 20 and May 20.

The Nenana Ice Classic serves as a fundraiser for local charities. It has awarded very large prizes over the years. In 2010, three winners split a jackpot of $279,030. In 2012, the record prize reached $350,000. Today, the Tanana River basin remains largely wilderness. Much of it is unchanged by human activity. However, some areas are busy with industry. Fairbanks is a metropolitan area with about 100,000 residents as of 2019. The region is a center for placer gold mining. This type of mining has continued in the basin since the mid-19th century. Some limited farming also happens in the valley near Fairbanks.

Modern infrastructure also interacts with the river. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline crosses beneath several rivers in the area. It uses a specific pipeline bridge to cross the Tanana just north of Delta Junction. While the area is mostly wild, people continue to use the river and its valley for travel and work. The river remains a vital part of the Alaskan geography and its history.