Why is the kenai river green

Where is the kenai river in alaska? Asked by: Prof. Kristin Schaden. Can you fish in the Russian River? What class is the Kenai River? What color is the water in Alaska? What ocean is around Alaska? Why is glacier water blue? What does the name Kenai mean?

Where can I fish on the Kenai River? Is the Russian River closed to fishing? What animals live in the Russian River? Beautiful river, huh? In fact, one of our favorite activities to enjoy on the river is catching and releasing world class trophy rainbow trout during the late summer and fall months.

Have you ever been? Kenai Lake is a beautiful, ridiculously blue lake that looks a bit more like a river at some points on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. It serves an important purpose as the headwaters of the Kenai river, which flows for 82 miles through plenty of absolutely incredible landscapes! The entire state is otherworldly; there are some lakes that stick out to us, though.

Alaska is a paradise, especially for lovers of chilly weather and stunning sights. Check out Denali Park, Kodiak Island, and drive the miles of the Seward Highway for naturally breathtaking environments that cannot be beat.

The possibilities are very nearly endless. Looking for more scenic drives in Alaska, by chance? Check out our picks for some of the most unforgettable scenic drives in Alaska! Posted in Alaska Nature February 09, by Courtney. During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date.

Start your journey to the bluest water in Alaska at the stunning mile-long Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing. Courtney Stanley. This is not true. Bennet wrote, "The streams abound with trout and grayling. Russian River has the reputation of being one of the best fishing streams in Alaska.

The writer had excellent fishing in this and also other streams, particularly Ptarmigan Creek, near the head of Kenai Lake, and in some streams near Seward. Dolly Varden and rainbow trout are very numerous. The reason is simple. The Russian River is a clearwater stream and the Kenai River is glacially silted. The clear water of the Russian River afforded such a clear view of the rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and salmon that entered it, that the clear water and sometimes plainly visible fish became an open invitation to anyone - angler or not - who stood on its banks.

Meanwhile the blue-green tinted water of the Kenai remained an unknown. It wasn't until later - essentially the s - when anglers realized that the silted water of the Kenai River could be fished with lure or fly just as successfully as clearer, most traditional looking, waters could.

The ultra-fine silt that gives the Kenai River its chalky blue-green color - which defies accurate description because it changes with the seasons and the amount and angle of sunlight - stretches from the river's glacial beginnings to its finale where it meets the saltwater of Cook Inlet. While the color may remain throughout the river's length, the Kenai is by no means a homogeneous ribbon of water from start to finish.

In fact, major portions of the river are so completely different that, from an angling standpoint, they can almost be treated as entirely different rivers. Officially the Kenai River begins at the Sterling Highway bridge. From the 20 mile long, mile wide, nearly boomerang shaped Kenai Lake, the river flows westward to Cook Inlet.

A bird's eye view [for a MAP of the region, click here. Skilak Lake, this lake in the middle, stretches for 15 miles and averages about four miles wide, and like Kenai Lake, its waters are colored blue-green from suspended glacial silt.

The Kenai River would not exist as it does without the complimenting factors provided by these two lakes. They are breeding cauldrons for zooplankton, which in turn is the preferred food of juvenile sockeye salmon.

Consequently, Kanai and Skilak lakes are the nursery area for millions of juvenile sockeye salmon. And this jump in biomass, from zooplankton to sockeye salmon, is a large factor in the complicated food web that affects everything from rainbow trout to bald eagles.

The lakes also act as winter sanctuaries. Most of the adult rainbow trout and Dolly Varden also head to one of the lakes at the onset of winter's harsh weather. Fishing Season The fishing season on the Kenai River typically gets underway during the month of May. Skip to main content. Seeing Green This St. Posted on:. Thursday, March 17, Attractions and Activities. Fine Arts and Crafts. Fine Dining. Food and Drink.