Charley_River
Charley River
River in Alaska, United States
The Charley River is an 88-mile (142 km) tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] Flowing generally northeast from the Mertie Mountains (named after geologist John Beaver Mertie, Jr.) in the northeastern part of the state, the river lies entirely within Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve.[4] The Charley River enters the larger river downstream and 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Eagle.[1]
In 1980, the Charley River and all of its main tributaries became part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[5] A total of 208 miles (335 km) was declared "wild" along the entire main stem as well as Copper, Bonanza, Hosford, Derwent, Flat-Orthmer, Crescent, and Moraine creeks.[5]
The Charley River watershed is forested chiefly with black spruce and white spruce.[6] This general locus within the Yukon River catchment is the approximate westernmost limit of the black spruce, Picea mariana.[7] The river forms part of the boundary between the Southeast Fairbanks and Yukon–Koyukuk census areas.