Alaska Trekking Home | Trips | Food | Gear | Packrafts

Pebble Mine Home | Stories | Photos | Facts | News | Links


June 2006 - Trek through the Pebble Mine watersheds
Journey through the lands downstream of the proposed Pebble Mine, 450 miles by foot and packraft.

The Pebble Mine project is a controversial proposal by Northern Dynasty Minerals to build one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world, in southwest Alaska, near Lake Iliamna. Northern Dynasty has not yet applied for permits, but their current proposal involves both a large open pit and an underground mine, as well as removal of the water from the headwaters of Upper Talarik Creek and the Koktuli River ( important fish habitats). The site sits at the headwaters of two major Bristol Bay drainages ( Nushagak and Kvichak), and potentially poses a large threat to the region's salmon. This proposal has become a major political issue in Alaska, pitting pro-mining forces against local native villages and commercial and sport fishermen.

Photo Tour
Pebble Mine site photo tour
Click for a photo tour of the Pebble Mine Watersheds

Story
Tom in the mud
Click for a brief story of the trip, with a few pictures
(updates published in the Bristol Bay Times as we traveled)

Upper Talarik Creek photos
Upper Talarik Creek photos
Full set of photos, with high-res versions, from Upper Talarik Creek

Pebble Mine site photos

70+ Pebble Mine site photos, with high res versions, from 2006 trek

Koktuli River photos

25 Koktuli River photos, with high res versions, from 2006 trek

Mulchatna River photos

32 Mulchatna River photos, with high res versions.

Nushagak River photos

Nushagak River photos, with high res versions.

Bristol Bay photos

Bristol Bay photos, with high res versions.

Kvichak River photos

Kvichak River photos, with high res versions.

Lake Iliamna photos

Lake Iliamna photos, with high res versions.

Pre trip plan, and the concept of the trip.

Read the guestbook | Sign the guestbook

Pebble Mine Home | Stories | Photos | Facts | News | Links

All content by Erin McKittrick, copyright 2006. Contact me with comments or questions at mckittre at gmail dot com.
Go to Alaska Trekking home or Ground Truth Trekking

Last modified: 9/21/2006