Goodpaster River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goodpaster River |
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 Location of the mouth of the Goodpaster River in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Southeast Fairbanks, Valdez–Cordova |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | 64°N 143°W / 64°N 143°W |
| River mouth | Tanana River Big Delta 64°10′17″N 145°37′36″W / 64.17139°N 145.62667°W |
The Goodpaster River is an important river in Alaska, a state in the United States. It flows for about 91 miles (146 kilometers) and joins the larger Tanana River. The local native people, the Middle Tanana, call this river Jiiz Cheeg. The Goodpaster River is located near a town called Big Delta, in the Southeast Fairbanks area.
This river valley shows signs of very old ice ages. Scientists have found proof of at least three different ice ages here. The oldest one happened a very long time ago, during the Late Tertiary period.
What's in a Name?
The Goodpaster River got its name from Lieutenant Allen. He named it to honor the "Goodpaster family of Kentucky." Sometimes, old maps mixed up the names of streams in the area. Other names for this river include North Fork Goodpaster River and Volkmar River.
Native People of the River
The land around the Goodpaster River, including areas like Big Delta and Delta Junction, is the traditional home of the Delta-Goodpaster people. They are a group of the Middle Tanana, who are part of the larger Tanana Athabaskans family.
The Goodpaster River acts like a natural border for different Tanana Athabaskan languages. People living upstream from the river speak Tanacross and Upper Tanana. Those living downstream speak Lower (and Middle) Tanana.
Fishing Fun
If you like fishing, the Goodpaster River is a great spot! You can fish for king salmon here. However, it's a "catch and release" area. This means you must let the fish go after you catch them. This rule helps protect the salmon population.
Fishing is allowed from where the Goodpaster River meets the Tanana River, up to a special marker about 25 miles (40 kilometers) upstream. You can only reach the Goodpaster River by boat. You can launch your boat from the Tanana River near Delta Junction or from Clearwater Lake.
Gold Mining History
The area around the Goodpaster River has a history of gold mining. Before a big discovery called Pogo, only a small amount of gold was found here. This gold came from placer mines (where gold is found in riverbeds) and lode mines (where gold is found in rock veins).
The Pogo mine, which is a very important gold mine, is located right in the Goodpaster River Valley. This mining district is east of Fairbanks and south of the Circle district.
