Wulik River

Wulik River
Location of the mouth of the Wulik River in Alaska
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
BoroughNorth Slope, Northwest Arctic
Physical characteristics
SourceDe Long Mountains
 • location5 miles (8 km) north of Sheep Mountain, North Slope
 • coordinates68°22′43″N 162°51′45″W / 68.37861°N 162.86250°W / 68.37861; -162.86250[1]
 • elevation2,563 ft (781 m)[2]
MouthKivalina Lagoon, Chukchi Sea
 • location
East of Kivalina, Northwest Arctic
 • coordinates
67°43′54″N 164°31′01″W / 67.73167°N 164.51694°W / 67.73167; -164.51694[1]
 • elevation
0 ft (0 m)[1]
Length80 mi (130 km)[1]

The Wulik River (Iñupiaq: Ualliik kuuŋak) is a stream, about 80 miles (130 km) long, in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska.[1] Originating in the De Long Mountains in the North Slope Borough, it flows southwest to Kivalina Lagoon in the Chukchi Sea, east of Kivalina.[1] It heads in the De Long Mountains, which is 5 miles (8 km) north of Sheep Mountain, and it is 42 miles (67 km) northwest of Noatak.[3]

Umiak Bend, along the river and 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Kivalina, was named after an Inuit skin boat (umiak) was destroyed there by rough water.[4]

In 1886, a United States Navy lieutenant reported the Inuit name of this river as "Woleek."[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Wulik River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. March 31, 1981. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  2. ^ Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
  3. ^ "Wulik River – streams". Alaska Handbook. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  4. ^ Orth, Donald J.; United States Geological Survey (1971) [1967]. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names: Geological Survey Professional Paper 567 (PDF). United States Government Printing Office. University of Alaska Fairbanks. p. 1007. Retrieved September 12, 2013.