A Note on Hot Springs in the Interior of Alaska

Abstract

Hot springs provide distinct local environments wherever found but are of special interest within the otherwise cold-dominated taiga. Although the areas involved are very small they offer unique biological settings whose study provides interesting insights into the thermal adaptations and the persistence of plant and animal species. Unfortunately, these areas are attractive for local exploitation which usually destroys the sites as natural entities, and most of the larger and more accessible springs have already been modified by such activity. Current interest in geothermal energy may place further pressure on these sites. Accordingly, we have attempted to relocate, and assess the present status of, a number of the 21 hot springs listed for the "Yukon basin" in Waring's classic report of 1917. Dall Hot Springs near Dall Mountain (20 miles northwest of Stevens Village on the Yukon River) was visited by us in June 1971. ... The presence of a few old logs indicated that there had once been a structure over one of the warm streams ... Waring reported hot springs near the headwaters of the Selawik River. ... the springs were easily located in two distinct areas about ¼ mile apart on one of the highest tributaries of the river. ... In July 1971 we travelled about 120 miles southward along the Elliot Highway to the Hutlinana River and then walked 7 miles up-stream to the hot spring. We found a trailer on a mining claim about 100 yards further on across the river in a bulldozed clearing. ... In August 1971 we flew to Horner Hot Springs which is about 1 mile north of the Yukon River, 5 miles below Kokrines which is 5 miles below Tanana. ... there was no water issuing from the ground there. We saw no evidence of recent activity, but there were numerous relics dating from an earlier period, such as pipes, cans and utensils. From this point we flew 15 miles north over the Melozitna Hot Springs, the area around which is now being developed with an air strip, a house, a greenhouse, a swimming pool, etc. ... Fifty miles to the north of Tanana are the Kilo Hot Springs on the Kilolitna River which form a distinct area of vegetation in largely treeless surroundings in which we saw the remains of what appeared to be a square log structure - perhaps a pool. ... About 12 miles to the northeast of this lake are the Ray River Hot Springs .... we flew over the Tolovana Hot Springs (20 miles to the southwest of Livengood). Their natural setting appeared to be completely monopolized by a swimming pool. In July 1972 our colleague Peter Shaughnessy and his wife walked for 2½ days north from Walker Lake to some hot springs on the Reed River .... A small piece of rusty metal and an old flat piece of wood were the only signs of human occupation. ... Waring and others have reported 5 small springs between the Yukon and Tanana rivers within 150 miles of Fairbanks. ... On Serpentine Creek, a tributary of the Salcha River, we found a group of large poplar trees which were out of character among the spruce at this altitude. There was no water issuing from the ground, but the absence of snow indicated an obvious geothermal influence. On Paldo Creek, another tributary of the Salcha, a large mound with a pothole in the middle was ringed on the river side by deciduous trees, although all the other trees were spruce. We could detect no warm water flowing from it, but the snow appeared lighter among the deciduous trees. The springs on Big Windy Creek, a tributary of Birch Creek, were located in a steep, rock-walled canyon .... On Flat Creek, a tributary of the Charley River, a ... snow-free mound gave some suggestion of thermal activity, but no water could be seen draining from it and there was no vegetational effect. It was likewise not possible to positively identify the spring reported to exist near the headwaters of the Charley River . ... All in all these reported springs in the Yukon-Tanana uplands appear to be of very limited significance. Although there are no true hot springs on the north slope, a site visited by our colleague ... in August 1971 is of interest. It was on the Ivishak River, north of the Brooks Range, and springs there were easily identified from the air by the presence of large poplars otherwise foreign to the area. ... We have not yet reconnoitered the other hot springs listed by Waring for the Yukon Basin - i.e., those on Little Minook Creek, west and north of Glacier, on the Alatna River, near the Innoko River, near Iditarod, near Whitefish Lake, near the Tuluksak River, and on a tributary of the Little Melozitna River.