Minook Creek facts for kids

Minook Creek, also sometimes called Mynook Creek, is a waterway located in the state of Alaska in the United States. Its native name, Klanarkakat, means "creek suitable for small boats." The creek got its name from John Mynook Pavaloff. He was part Russian and part native Alaskan. John found gold in the valley of this creek back in 1894.

Exploring Minook Creek's Geography

Minook Creek flows into the mighty Yukon River. This meeting point is just east of a place called Rampart. The creek itself is about 25 miles (40 km) long.

How the Creek Flows

Near where it joins the Yukon River, Minook Creek is quite shallow. It is also about 50–60 feet (15–18 m) wide. The creek generally flows north. It travels through a deep valley. This valley changes in width, from a few hundred feet to about half a mile wide.

Creek Branches and Tributaries

Minook Creek has many smaller streams that flow into it. These are called tributaries. From the east, it gets water from Hunter, Little Minook, Little Minook Junior, Hoosier, Florida, and Chapman creeks. Many other smaller streams also join it from the east.

From the west, Minook Creek receives water from Montana, Ruby, Slate, and Granite creeks. Granite Creek is the largest of these western streams. It joins the Minook about 17 miles (27 km) from the Yukon River.

Wide Gravel Flats and Winter Ice

Just below where Slate Creek joins, Minook Creek spreads out. It forms many branches across a wide, flat area of gravel. This flat area is common in Alaskan streams. It happens because the creek slows down here. It can no longer carry all the gravel it picked up from faster-moving water upstream. So, it drops the gravel, creating the flat.

You might even find "winter glaciers" here. These are patches of ice that sometimes last through the short Alaskan summers. In 1904, a large patch of ice, about a quarter or half an acre, was still there in September. This ice forms when the creek's channel freezes in the fall. The water underneath gets squeezed and cracks the ice. Water then overflows and freezes on top. This process repeats, building up a thick layer of ice.

Valley Shapes and Benches

The valley of Minook Creek is shaped like a "V." The eastern side of the valley often has flat, step-like areas called benches. The western side is steeper and has fewer of these benches.

There are five clear benches that rise above the valley floor. These are found between Little Minook Junior Creek and Hoosier Creek. The highest bench is about 500 feet (150 m) up. Important gravel deposits cover this highest bench. It is on the east side of the Minook and stretches from Hunter Creek to about 1 mile (1.6 km) above Florida Creek.

Smaller parts of this same high bench are found on the north side of Montana Creek's mouth. Another piece is near the mouth of Ruby Creek. Other benches are found near Chapman Creek. These last two benches do not have gravel on them.

On the west side of the creek, there are only a few benches. One bench, about 50 feet (15 m) high, extends a little past the mouth of Hunter Creek. It might be connected to a similar bench on the south side of the Yukon River. It seems that all the benches along Minook Creek might be linked to the benches of the Yukon River.

Near the mouth of Slate Creek, there is a bench cut into the rock. This bench is 12–16 feet (3.7–4.9 m) deep. It is covered by 4–5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) of gravel and a foot or more of mucky soil. So far, no gravel has been found on the benches that are at a middle height. But future studies might find some.

Upper Valley Features

In its upper part, the creek flows somewhat north of east for about 2 miles (3.2 km). Here, the valley looks very different from the lower part. The north side has a long, gentle slope. The south side is steep, and the stream flows close to its base. This uneven shape of the valley is also seen in many other creeks in the area, like Eureka and Pioneer creeks.

The ground materials in the valley are about 10–12 feet (3.0–3.7 m) thick. They are made of soil mixed with plant matter, peaty soil, and gravel. There is also a lot of broken rock at the bottom of many hillsides. In the middle part of the valley, the ground has about 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m) of muck (wet, dark soil) and the same thickness of gravel. The muck gets thicker towards the sides of the valley, while the solid rock underneath stays mostly level.

The gravel deposits come from the local bedrock. They contain many smooth, rounded quartzite boulders. These boulders range from a few inches to 3 feet (0.91 m) across.