Kougarok River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kougarok River
Kougarok River
Location of the mouth of the Kougarok River in Alaska
Native name	Kuuguraq
Country	United States
State	Alaska
District	Nome Census Area
Physical characteristics
Main source	Confluence of Macklin and Washington creeks Seward Peninsula 457 ft (139 m) 65°41′00″N 164°47′46″W / 65.68333°N 164.79611°W / 65.68333; -164.79611
River mouth	Kuzitrin River 47 miles (76 km) southwest of Imuruk Lake 75 ft (23 m) 65°15′23″N 164°33′57″W / 65.25639°N 164.56583°W / 65.25639; -164.56583
Length	45 mi (72 km)

The Kougarok (Koo-gah-rok) River (Kuuguraq in Inupiaq, lit. little river) is a river on the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. Formed by the merger of the two smaller streams Macklin Creek and Washington Creek, the main stem is about 45 miles (72 km) long, flowing generally south from near Taylor Airport. It flows into the Kuzitrin River, which flows west into the Imuruk Basin, connected to the bay of Port Clarence on the Bering Sea.

In 1900 the river was reported under the same name as Kugruk River, this was later changed. The river drew gold miners in the early 1900s, though development slowed after World War II. The Nome-Taylor Highway follows the river for much of its course.