Susitna River helps shape the Valley

As it winds its way from Cook Inlet deep into the Alaska Range, the Susitna River shapes not only the geographic landscape of the Mat-Su Valley, but also the cultural landscape.

The river shares its name with hundreds of businesses, a valley and one magnificent mountain. It has served as a major thoroughfare for transportation in the early years of settlement, and as a lifeblood for recreationalists since. The Dena'ina gave the river its name, which means "sandy river."

The river's headwaters are located in the Alaska Range, at the base of the massive Susitna Glacier. As the glacier melts, it provides the upper Susitna Valley with the massive river, which winds 260 miles toward Cook Inlet.

The river first appeared on a Russian chart in 1847, and immediately upon settlement by prospectors, the river was used as a way of transporting gold dredges and supplies to places like Cache Creek. Talkeetna became a major hub along the Susitna River, and the river provided the earliest highways Alaska had.

Hundreds of tributaries spill into the Susitna River, including major rivers like the Talkeetna, the Chulitna and the Yentna.

The Susitna River and its tributaries opened up Southcentral Alaska to prospectors, and helped with the establishment of communities in this area. Because tributaries shot off in every direction, many makeshift communities were formed along the river's artery, and many are still around today.

When construction began on the Alaska Railroad in 1914, the Susitna River became clogged with boats hauling supplies.

Without the ability to transport supplies and equipment up the river, construction would have been a much more major undertaking. The railroad's construction also marked the end of a period when boat was the only mode of transportation. With prospectors able to use the Alaska Railroad, the need to boat up the river became obsolete.

Today, the river is an important part of the economy for the Valley. It has a tremendous run of salmon, which supports a thriving tourism economy here.

Flightseeing businesses, rafting businesses and environmental businesses all see benefits from the river's water, whether it be indirectly or directly.

Other than the Little Susitna River -- which despite sharing a name with the giant river isn't actually a tributary of the Susitna River -- nearly 100 percent of the Valley's top fishing locations are in some way connected to the Susitna River.

Popular road-accessible fishing creeks like Montana, Goose, Sheep, Kashwitna, Little Willow and Willow all flow directly into the Susitna River near the Parks Highway. Other favorites like Clear Creek spill into the Talkeetna, which in turn feeds into the Susitna River.

Farther north on the Parks Highway, creeks like Honolulu feed the Chulitna, which in turn flows into the Susitna River.

In addition to large runs of Pacific salmon species, the Susitna River provides a wintering location for rainbow trout and grayling, which then migrate into smaller creeks and provide excellent fishing throughout the summer.

Susitna Landing and Deshka Landing are two places where boat access is available in the immediate area.

Many people use those two access points to reach remote fisheries in the Susitna River drainage, including Alexander Creek and the Deshka River.