Fox River (Fish River tributary) facts for kids
The Fox River is a waterway in Alaska, a U.S. state. In the Inupiaq language, it is called Ninaġvik. This river is about 32 miles (51 km) from a place called Solomon. The Fox River flows east for about 18 miles (29 km). It then joins the Fish River from the west.
Where the Fox River Flows
The Fox River starts about 20 miles (32 km) north of Topkok Head. It first flows northeast towards the Niukluk lowland. Then, it turns southeast. The river follows the edge of the high land until it meets the Fish River.
For its last 10 miles (16 km), the Fox River has many bends. Its channel is full of sand and gravel bars. This makes the water shallow. It can be hard for small boats to travel here. Above this part, the valley gets narrower. The river flows in a much straighter line.
The land from the start of the river to its end is quite flat. Where the river is held by valley walls, it drops less than 20 feet (6.1 m) per mile. In the flatter lowlands, it drops even less, probably under 10 feet (3.0 m) per mile.
The valley of the Fox River is wide. The riverbed is dug about 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m) below the valley floor. This creates flat areas called benches along the sides. The riverbed itself is a wide area of gravel and sand. Not all of it is covered by water.
The main rocks in the riverbed are light-gray schists. These are layered rocks that can contain minerals like chlorite and mica. There are also layers of limestone and graphitic schists. You can also find greenstone rocks. These often appear as dikes or sills, which are rock formations that cut through other rock layers. The river's gravel and sand come from these local rocks.
Smaller Rivers Joining the Fox
Smaller rivers or streams that flow into a larger river are called tributaries. People have looked for valuable minerals near the mouth of a small tributary called I X L Gulch. This area is on one of the many benches along the Fox River valley.
In 1908, people were getting ready to work on these claims. They planned to bring water from another tributary of the Fox River. This tributary is known as Blue Rock Creek. I X L Gulch is a small stream that starts about a mile (1.6 km) southwest of the Fox River. Another tributary, Slate Creek, joins the Fox River from the south.
Rocks and Minerals of the Area
About 10 miles (16 km) south of Council, along the Fox River, there are several greenstone dikes. These are like walls of rock that cut through older rocks. When looked at very closely, these greenstone rocks are a type called diabase. They contain crystals of minerals like labradorite and olivine. These crystals are set in a finer mix of other minerals like plagioclase, augite, and biotite.
Other greenstone rocks were found between the Fox River and the Solomon River. These rocks seemed to be slightly changed tuffs. Tuffs are rocks made from volcanic ash.
