The Tazlina River is a 30-mile (48 km) tributary of the Copper River in the U.S. state of Alaska . Draining Tazlina Lake , it flows generally east to meet the larger river 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Glennallen .
6-468: Tazlina Lake lies at the base of Tazlina Glacier in the Chugach Mountains north of Valdez . From the lake, the river meanders toward Glennallen, receiving Durham Creek and then Nickel Creek from the right and Moose Creek from the left . The east–west trending Glenn Highway runs to the left (north) of the river and approximately parallel to it for most of its course. Downstream of Glenallen,
12-792: Is also possible to launch along a tributary, the Little Nelchina River, where it meets the Glenn Highway at Little Nelchina State Recreation Site. This route includes 4 miles (6 km) on the Little Nelchina, then 23 miles (37 km) on the Nelchina River, followed by 10 miles (16 km) of paddling down the lake from the mouth of the Nelchina to the start of the Tazlina. The longer float includes rapids Class II (medium) to III (difficult) on
18-531: The International Scale of River Difficulty . Hazards include logjams and the possibility of insufficient water on the Little Nelchina; strong winds on the lake; swift, cold, silty water on the Tazlina, and a difficult set of rapids called Oxbow Drop upstream of the take-out place at the Richardson Highway bridge. Tazlina Glacier Tazlina Glacier is a 25 mi (40 km) long glacier in
24-427: The U.S. state of Alaska . It begins 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Mount Cashman and Mount Shouplina then flows north to its terminus one mile (1.6 km) south of Tazlina Lake and 43 miles (69 km) north of Valdez . Tazlina Glacier is the largest northward flowing glacier in the Chugach Mountains . The terminus of the glacier is retreating and thinning. Tazlina is the largest north-flowing glacier in
30-465: The Glenn Highway as well as by floatplane or boat, offer good fishing opportunities. The main species of game fish in the Tazlina River system are king salmon , red salmon , Dolly Varden , and Arctic grayling . Whitewater enthusiasts with sufficient skills can float the Tazlina River in a variety of watercraft. It is possible to take a floatplane to Tazlina Lake and start downstream from there. It
36-519: The Tazlina River passes under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the north–south trending Richardson Highway before entering the Copper River. Accessible from the Richardson Highway, which intersects the lower main stem , the Tazlina River is generally too silt-laden for good sportfishing . Tazlina Lake is likewise silty. However, clear-running tributary streams and lakes, accessible from
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