The Tanana River (, ) is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Bright, the name is from the Koyukon (Athabaskan) , , literally "trail river." Early explorer and naturalist to Alaska William Dall translated the name as "River of Mountains."

The river's headwaters are located at the confluence of the Chisana and Nabesna rivers just north of Northway in eastern Alaska. The Tanana flows in a northwest direction from near the border with the Yukon Territory, and laterally along the northern slope of the Alaska Range, roughly paralleled by the Alaska Highway. The Nenana Ice Classic, begun in 1917, is an annual guessing game about the date of the ice break-up. Several sites in the watershed have produced evidence of occupation by Paleo-Arctic people. Later residents include people of the Tanana tribe, which has had a presence in the region for 1,200 years.

During World War II, it was proposed to resettle Finnish refugees in areas around the Tanana River (Operation Alaska).

In the early 21st century, the basin is largely wilderness unchanged by human activity. Fairbanks, a metropolitan area with about 100,000 residents in 2019, is a center of placer gold mining, which has continued in the basin since the mid-19th century. Limited farming also occurs in the valley near Fairbanks.

Nenana Ice Classic

Since the early 1900s, Alaskans have been gambling on when the river would melt. Each year, thousands pay $3.00 to guess the exact date and minute the Tanana River ice will go out in Nenana. The Nenana Ice Classic is a fundraiser for local charities and has awarded some large prizes. In 2010, after the ice went out on April 29, three lottery winners split a jackpot of $279,030. In 2012, the record prize was $350,000.

Major tributaries (in descending order of elevation)

right|thumb|The [[Trans-Alaska Pipeline crosses beneath several rivers, but has a pipeline bridge where it crosses the Tanana just north of Delta Junction.]]

thumb|Tanana River in winter, west of Fairbanks

thumb|Bridge over the Tanana River in [[Nenana, Alaska|Nenana.]]

  • Chisana River
  • Nabesna River
  • Kalutna River
  • Tok River
  • Robertson River
  • Johnson River
  • Little Gerstle River
  • Healy River
  • Volkmar River
  • Gerstle River
  • Clearwater Creek
  • Goodpaster River
  • Delta River
  • Delta Creek
  • Little Delta River
  • Salcha River
  • Little Salcha River
  • Chena River
  • North Fork
  • South Fork
  • Wood River
  • Tatlanika River
  • Nenana River
  • Teklanika River
  • Seventeen Mile Slough
  • Tolovana River
  • Kantishna River
  • Zitziana River
  • Cosna River
  • Chitanana River

See also

  • List of rivers of Alaska
  • List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem)

Notes and references

;Notes

;References

Works cited

  • Benke, Arthur C., ed., and Cushing, Colbert E., ed. (2005). Rivers of North America. Burlington, Massachusetts: Elsevier Academic Press. .