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Iliamna Lake or Lake Iliamna (Yup'ik: Nanvarpak; Dena'ina Athabascan: Nila Vena) is a lake in southwest Alaska, at the north end of the Alaska Peninsula, between Kvichak Bay and Cook Inlet, about 100 miles (160 km) west of Seldovia, Alaska.[1]

Iliamna Lake
Satellite image of Iliamna Lake
Iliamna Lake Show map of Alaska Iliamna Lake Show map of North America
Location	Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska
Coordinates	59°32′12″N 155°01′28″W[1]
Lake type	oligotrophic
Native name	Nanvarpak  (Central Yupik) Nila Vena  (Tanaina)
Primary inflows	Newhalen River, Illiamna River, Pile River, Copper River
Primary outflows	Kvichak River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	77 mi (124 km)[2]
Max. width	22 mi (35 km)[2]
Surface area	1,012.5 sq mi (2,622 km2)[2]
Average depth	144 ft (44 m)[2]
Max. depth	988 ft (301 m)[2]
Water volume	27.7 cu mi (115 km3)[2]
Residence time	7.8 years[2]
Surface elevation	46 ft (14 m)[1]
Settlements	Iliamna, Newhalen, Kokhanok, Pedro Bay, Igiugig
References	[1][2]

It is the largest lake in Alaska, 3rd largest lake entirely in the United States, and twenty-fourth in North America. Covering about 2,600 km² (1,000 sq mi), Iliamna Lake is 77 miles (124 km) long and up to 22 miles (35 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 988 feet (301 m). Through the Kvichak River, its waters drain into Bristol Bay.[3]

History

Name

The lake is marked as 'Oz[ero] Bol[shoy] Ilyamna' (Big Ilyamna Lake) on the Russian Hydrographical Department's Chart 1455, published in 1852. On an earlier Russian map, from 1802, the lake was named 'Oz[ero] Shelekhovo' (Lake Shelekov) after Russian explorer Grigory Shelekhov. According to G.C. Martin, of the United States Geological Survey, Iliamna is said to be "the name of a mythical great blackfish supposed to inhabit this lake, which bites holes in the bidarkas of bad natives."[1]

The name Iliamna is derived from the Inland Dena'ina Athabascan name Nila Vena, which means island's lake.[4]

Economy

Williamsport-Pile Bay Road portage

Originally constructed by the Alaska Road Commission during the mid 1930s, the Williamsport-Pile Bay Road is a utility-class road maintained by the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. Connecting Pile Bay on the lake's northeast side with Williamsport, a tiny settlement on the Iliamna Bay of Cook Inlet (about 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Homer), the road is 15.5 miles (24.9 km) long and one lane wide with four bridges. The Williamsport-Pile Bay Road is maintained as a gravel utility road for the purpose of hauling boats and freight, and is not intended for general purpose use. The road allows boats small enough to be hauled across the road's bridges an opportunity to portage from Cook Inlet to Bristol Bay, saving a trip on the open ocean which involves traveling around the Alaska Peninsula. For this and other reasons, the road is also believed to significantly reduce fuel costs for the Lake Iliamna and Bristol Bay regions.

Populated places

The villages of Iliamna, Newhalen, Kokhanok, Pedro Bay, Pope-Vannoy Landing and Igiugig lie on the shores of Iliamna Lake.

Flora and fauna

Iliamna Lake is noted for its sport fishing. The three primary targets of anglers in the lake are trout, salmon, and grayling. August through September is prime time for catching fat rainbow trout, some of which exceed 28 inches long. The Kvichak River Policy (the drainage of Lake Iliamna) is catch and release on trout (and all other native fish), but not on salmon. Sockeye (red) and Chinook (king) salmon are consistently found in the lake and are open to harvest under Alaska Department of Fish and Game Regulations. Lake Iliamna also has one of few populations of freshwater seals in the world.[5] It also serves as a nursery for the largest red salmon run in the world. Red salmon spend half of their 5-year lifespan in fresh water. This is longer than any other species of salmon.

Monster Legend

Local residents have a number of stories about the alleged Iliamna Lake Monster, an unknown aquatic creature.[6] Speculation exists that reported sightings may be an undocumented population of white sturgeon. If true, this would be the most northerly population known to exist, just a few hundred miles from the Arctic Circle. Jeremy Wade, presenter of Animal Planet's River Monsters, is among those who speculate these sightings of a reputed "monster" is a white sturgeon. Others believe that it is a Pacific sleeper shark. Evidence of this is corroborated by a 2012 YouTube video that shows a smaller Pacific sleeper shark in Lake Iliamna. There were several new sightings in 2017. The Anchorage Daily News once offered a prize of $100,000 for concrete proof of its existence.

See also

• List of lakes of Alaska
• List of reported lake monsters

References

External links

• "Detailed USGS topographic map" (JPEG). United States Topographic Maps 1:250,000. US Geological Survey map hosted by the University of Texas. 1983.

На других языках

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[de] Iliamna Lake

Der Iliamna Lake (auch Lake Iliamna) ist ein See im Südwesten des US-Bundesstaates Alaska auf der Alaska-Halbinsel.

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- [en] Iliamna Lake

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[fr] Lac Iliamna

Le lac Iliamna est un lac d'Alaska, situé au sud-ouest de l'État, à l'extrémité nord de la péninsule d'Alaska entre Kvichak Bay (en) et le golfe de Cook à environ 160 km à l'ouest de la localité de Seldovia. Il est le 8e plus grand lac des États-Unis et le plus grand d'Alaska avec une superficie de 2 622 km2. Ses eaux se déversent dans la baie de Bristol grâce à la Kvichak.

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[it] Lago Iliamna

Il lago Iliamna (inglese: Iliamna Lake; Yup'ik: Nanvarpak) è situato nell'Alaska meridionale, all'estremità nord della penisola di Alaska. Dista circa 160 km dalla città di Seldovia.

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[ru] Илиамна (озеро)

Илиа́мна (англ. Iliamna Lake) — озеро на юге Аляски (США), ледниково-тектонического происхождения. Старым его русским названием (по карте 1802 г.) было «озеро Шелехово»[1]. Высота над уровнем моря — 15 м[2].

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