Chuitna River

The Chuit River or Chuitna is located on the West Side of Cook Inlet’s 45 miles west of Anchorage. It is 25 miles long and drains a complex system of bogs, lakes, ponds and marshes.

With only one bridge and limited road access and all five species of wild Alaskan salmon, the Chuitna is one of Alaska’s great rivers. In addition to all five species of wild Alaskan salmon and three trout species the Chuit is the core of a diverse and unique web of plant and animal life. Salmon run from May-October while spawning occurs from July through October. Coho fry spend up to two years in the tributaries of the Chuitna before heading out Cook Inlet and the Pacific Ocean. The Chuitna is home to all sorts of waterfowl and shorebirds, moose, bear, wolves, beaver and other smaller mammals as well as three distinct and sustainable fisheries, subsistence, sport and commercial.

The Chuitna is no place for a coal strip mine.

Mouth of the Chuitna River | Photo By Jeanne Devon