The
Copper River or
Ahtna River ,
Ahtna Athabascan ‘Atna’tuu , "river of the Ahtnas," Tlingit
Eeḵhéeni , "river of copper," is a 290-mile (470 km)
river in south-central
Alaska in the United States. It drains a large region of the
Wrangell Mountains and
Chugach Mountains into the
Gulf of Alaska. It is known for its extensive
delta ecosystem, as well as for its prolific runs of wild
salmon, which are among the most highly prized stocks in the world. The river is the tenth largest in the United States, as ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth.