Anvik River

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) operates the Anvik River Sonar Project to monitor chum salmon population, with annual returns averaging between 400,000 and 800,000 fish."[https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=sonar.site_info&site=14. Anvik Site and River, Alaska Fisheries Sonar, Alaska Department of Fish and Game]". Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved March 5, 2025.

File:FMIB_41375_Native_Fish_Traps_on_the_Anvik_River_The_town_of_Anvik_is_shown_in_the_background.jpeg

Other important fish species{{Cite journal |last=Cold |first=Helen S. |last2=Brinkman |first2=Todd J. |last3=Brown |first3=Caroline L. |last4=Hollingsworth |first4=Teresa N. |last5=Brown |first5=Dana R. N. |last6=Heeringa |first6=Krista M. |date=2020 |title=Assessing vulnerability of subsistence travel to effects of environmental change in Interior Alaska |url=https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol25/iss1/art20/ |journal=Ecology and Society |language=en |volume=25 |issue=1 |doi=10.5751/ES-11426-250120 |issn=1708-3087|doi-access=free }} in the river include:

• Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) – prized for their size and importance for subsistence and sport fishing.
• Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) – commercially important for recreational and small-scale fishing.
• Whitefish species (Coregonus sp.) – a staple in Indigenous diets.
• Northern pike (Esox lucius) – a key predator in the ecosystem.
• Sheefish (Stenodus leucichthys) – valued for their large size and firm meat.
• Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) – an indicator species for water quality.

Despite the river’s productivity, climate change and commercial fishing pressures in the Bering Sea have contributed to salmon population declines, leading to conservation efforts to protect habitat and improve sustainability.{{Cite journal |last=Chen |first=Qiuwen |last2=Li |first2=Qinyuan |last3=Lin |first3=Yuqing |last4=Zhang |first4=Jianyun |last5=Xia |first5=Jun |last6=Ni |first6=Jinren |last7=Cooke |first7=Steven J. |last8=Best |first8=Jim |last9=He |first9=Shufeng |last10=Feng |first10=Tao |last11=Chen |first11=Yuchen |last12=Tonina |first12=Daniele |last13=Benjankar |first13=Rohan |last14=Birk |first14=Sebastian |last15=Fleischmann |first15=Ayan Santos |date=2023 |title=River Damming Impacts on Fish Habitat and Associated Conservation Measures |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023RG000819 |journal=Reviews of Geophysics |language=en |volume=61 |issue=4 |pages=e2023RG000819 |doi=10.1029/2023RG000819 |issn=1944-9208|doi-access=free |url-access=subscription }}

The Anvik River’s wetlands and riparian forests provide critical habitat for moose, black & grizzly bears, bald eagles, and beavers.U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District. [https://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/civilworks/BEA/Anvik_Final%20Report.pdf Alaska Baseline Erosion Assessment: Erosion Information Paper – Anvik, Alaska]. May 5, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2025. The river's floodplains and oxbow lakes serve as spawning and nursery grounds for fish and migratory bird species.Anvik Tribal Council. [https://www.tananachiefs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Anvik-Comprehensive-Community-Plan-2016-.pdf Anvik Comprehensive Community Plan 2016]. Tanana Chiefs Conference Village Planning and Development Program. Retrieved March 9, 2025.

The Innoko National Wildlife Refuge encompasses parts of the Anvik watershed, providing protection for these species that rely on the river for food and habitat.

The Deg Hit’an Athabaskans, the Indigenous people of the lower Yukon River, have relied on the Anvik River for subsistence fishing, hunting, and seasonal camps for centuries.

File:Ingalik_Indian_village_of_Anvik_with_fish_drying_racks,_right_bank_of_the_Yukon_River_at_the_mouth_of_the_Anvik_River,_circa_1901_(AL+CA_963).jpg

Fishing remains central to food security and cultural traditions in the region. According to oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has long informed Indigenous fishing practices, ensuring sustainable harvesting methods. The Deg Hit’an use fish traps, dipnets, and set nets, adapting to seasonal fish migrations. Whitefish, northern pike, and salmon are smoked or dried for long-term storage.

In modern times, subsistence fishing is regulated through state and federal management. However, declining salmon runs and climate-driven habitat shifts have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of Indigenous food systems.{{Cite journal |last=Leppi |first=Jason C |last2=Rinella |first2=Daniel J |last3=Wipfli |first3=Mark S |last4=Liljedahl |first4=Anna K |last5=Seitz |first5=Andrew C |last6=Falke |first6=Jeffrey A |date=2023-07-01 |title=Climate Change Risks to Freshwater Subsistence Fisheries in Arctic Alaska: Insights and Uncertainty from Broad Whitefish Coregonus nasus |url=https://academic.oup.com/fisheries/article/48/7/295/7810580 |journal=Fisheries |volume=48 |issue=7 |pages=295–306 |doi=10.1002/fsh.10918 |issn=0363-2415}}

Subsistence fishing is the primary economic and cultural activity in Anvik and nearby villages. Most households rely on fish harvests rather than store-bought food, due to the region's remote nature and high transportation costs.

A 2005 study estimated that over 90% of households in Anvik engage in subsistence fishing, with salmon, whitefish, and pike being the most commonly harvested species.Brown, Caroline L., John Burr, Kim Elkin, and Robert J. Walker. (2005). [https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/techpap/tp289.pdf Contemporary Subsistence Uses and Population Distribution of Non-Salmon Fish in Grayling, Anvik, Shageluk, and Holy Cross]. Technical Paper No. 289. Federal Subsistence Fishery Monitoring Program, Final Project No. 02-037-2. USFWS Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program, Fishery Information Service, Anchorage, Alaska.

Historically, commercial salmon fishing provided economic opportunities for rural communities along the Yukon River. However, global competition, declining fish stocks, and stricter regulations have led to a near-collapse of commercial fisheries in the Anvik region.{{Cite journal |last=Schindler |first=Daniel E. |last2=Augerot |first2=Xan |last3=Fleishman |first3=Erica |last4=Mantua |first4=Nathan J. |last5=Riddell |first5=Brian |last6=Ruckelshaus |first6=Mary |last7=Seeb |first7=Jim |last8=Webster |first8=Michael |date=2008-10-01 |title=Climate Change, Ecosystem Impacts, and Management for Pacific Salmon |url=https://academic.oup.com/fisheries/article-abstract/33/10/502/7884904?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Fisheries |volume=33 |issue=10 |pages=502–506 |doi=10.1577/1548-8446-33.10.502 |issn=0363-2415|url-access=subscription }} Government relief programs, such as the Yukon River Salmon Disaster Relief Fund, have been implemented to support affected communities.Alaska Department of Fish and Game. [https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/pdfs/2021_2022_uci_essn_salmon_final_draft_spend_plan.pdf Final Draft Spend Plan for Funds Appropriated to Address the 2021 and 2022 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Gillnet Salmon Fishery Disaster Determination]. October 9, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2025.

The Anvik River and nearby Innoko River drainage are popular destinations for sport fishing, particularly for northern pike and sheefish. Guided fishing trips attract anglers, bringing seasonal revenue to local businesses. However, the rise in tourism-related fishing activities has raised concerns about their impact on subsistence fisheries.Cerveny, Lee K. 2005. [https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/pubs/pnw_rp566.pdf Tourism and its effects on southeast Alaska communities and resources: case studies from Haines, Craig, and Hoonah, Alaska]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. doi:10.2737/PNW-RP-566

Rising temperatures, permafrost thawing, and changing precipitation patterns have significantly altered streamflow, fish migration and ice breakup patterns. Warmer winters have resulted in reduced snowpack and earlier spring floods, disrupting salmon spawning cycles and reducing egg survival rates.{{Cite journal |last=Schoen |first=Erik R. |last2=Wipfli |first2=Mark S. |last3=Trammell |first3=E. Jamie |last4=Rinella |first4=Daniel J. |last5=Floyd |first5=Angelica L. |last6=Grunblatt |first6=Jess |last7=McCarthy |first7=Molly D. |last8=Meyer |first8=Benjamin E. |last9=Morton |first9=John M. |last10=Powell |first10=James E. |last11=Prakash |first11=Anupma |last12=Reimer |first12=Matthew N. |last13=Stuefer |first13=Svetlana L. |last14=Toniolo |first14=Horacio |last15=Wells |first15=Brett M. |date=2017-10-01 |title=Future of Pacific Salmon in the Face of Environmental Change: Lessons from One of the World's Remaining Productive Salmon Regions |url=https://academic.oup.com/fisheries/article/42/10/538/7833838 |journal=Fisheries |language=en |volume=42 |issue=10 |pages=538–553 |doi=10.1080/03632415.2017.1374251 |issn=0363-2415|doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last=Hard |first=Jeffrey J. |last2=Gross |first2=Mart R. |last3=Heino |first3=Mikko |last4=Hilborn |first4=Ray |last5=Kope |first5=Robert G. |last6=Law |first6=Richard |last7=Reynolds |first7=John D. |date=2008 |title=Evolutionary consequences of fishing and their implications for salmon |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-4571.2008.00020.x |journal=Evolutionary Applications |language=en |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=388–408 |doi=10.1111/j.1752-4571.2008.00020.x |issn=1752-4571 |pmc=3352430 |pmid=25567639}} Additionally, increasing water temperatures have negatively impacted oxygen levels, threatening juvenile salmon and other fish species.

The proposed Donlin Gold Mine, located upstream in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, has raised concerns about potential water pollution from cyanide leaching and heavy metal runoff. If developed, this mine could impact salmon spawning habitat downstream.

Commercial fishing operations in the Bering Sea and lower Yukon River have contributed to declining salmon stocks. Bycatch, particularly from trawl fisheries, has had unintended consequences on Yukon River salmon runs, including those that migrate up the Anvik River. Conservation groups have advocated for stricter bycatch regulations and Indigenous-led fisheries management to mitigate these impacts.

Efforts to restore salmon populations and protect the river’s ecosystem include habitat restoration initiatives led by the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge, which focuses on preserving riparian zones and spawning habitats for native fish species. Additionally, the Yukon River Salmon Final Draft Spend Plan incorporated funding to support salmon conservation research, including stock-specific distribution models to improve Yukon River chum salmon run forecasting and mapping changes in spawning tributaries. Indigenous co-management programs have played a crucial role in conservation efforts. The Tanana Chiefs Conference, ADF&G, and University of Alaska Fairbanks have worked together to document Indigenous fishing knowledge, map traditional harvest sites, and integrate TEK into fisheries management policies. ADF&G's sonar-based fish count project also continues to monitor population trends and inform sustainable fishing policies.

Local conservation organizations are advocating for state and federal policies that prioritize salmon conservation over commercial exploitation.

• List of rivers of Alaska

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Category:Rivers of Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

Category:Rivers of Alaska

Category:Tributaries of the Yukon River

Category:Rivers of Unorganized Borough, Alaska