Kootznahoo Inlet facts for kids
Kootznahoo Inlet is a special water area found on the eastern side of Chatham Strait in the state of Alaska, USA. It covers about 15 square miles (39 km2) and is made up of many narrow waterways, calm lagoons, and small bays. Its entrance is about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of a place called Killisnoo. The name Kootznahoo comes from the Tlingit people and means "bear fortress." They also used it to refer to Admiralty Island.
Admiralty Island is home to the Kootznoowoo Wilderness, a huge protected area that covers about 1 million acres. This island is famous for having a very large number of brown bears, with about 1,500 living there. That's one of the biggest groups of brown bears anywhere on Earth!
Exploring Kootznahoo Inlet
Kootznahoo Inlet has many rocks and reefs. The land around it is generally low, usually less than 100 feet (30 m) high. The water channels inside the inlet are not very deep, usually less than 20 fathoms (about 120 feet).
Scientists have found special rocks in the inlet that are from the Tertiary period, which is a very old time in Earth's history. These rocks include Eocene and younger layers. They also found plant fossils that suggest the area is from the Oligocene age, with even younger rocks from the Miocene age on top. There are also signs of volcanic rocks, which means volcanoes were active here long ago. The layers of rock, like conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, shale, and coal, are called the Kootznahoo Formation. They can be very thick, from 2,000 to 5,000 feet deep!
Amazing Animals of the Inlet
Kootznahoo Inlet is a great place for fishing. Many types of salmon are caught here, including sockeye (also known as red salmon), chum (or dog salmon), chinook (or king salmon), and pink salmon (sometimes called humpies).
Besides fish, you can find other cool animals living around the inlet. These include herring, bears, beavers, mink, and sea otters. It's a busy place for wildlife!
History and Culture
Kootznahoo Inlet is also known as Bay Tlein. Long ago, the Deishheatan people came to this area because they found many beavers here. Later, the Teokwedi clan lived at Mitchell Bay, which is at the head of the inlet.
The people from Angoon also used this inlet. They built a village here to fish, hunt, and trap animals. The Angoon people had special rights to use the shores of the inlet, its lakes, and the inner parts of Admiralty Island that drained into the inlet. This shows how important Kootznahoo Inlet has been to the local communities for a very long time.
