The Site Description Database




    
    

        Site:
        C2
        Site Type:
        Area
        Unit:
        CPCRW
    

        Site Description:
        The tributary basins of Caribou Creek are all 
            arbitrarily designated with a "C". The C2 basin is the 
            sub-basin with the least amount of permafrost of the CPCRW 
            sub-basins. As such, it has been often been studied intensively in 
            conjunction with C3, the sub-basin with the greatest amount of 
            permafrost. The basin trends to the south, with well-drained slopes 
            and permafrost-underlain treeless muskeg in valley bottom. Although 
            an extensive fire history has not been done, there was probably a 
            stand-replacing fire early in this century (ca. 1925), with some 
            large white spruce stands that survived from the earlier vegetation. 
            
    

        Site Directions:
        The C2 site is accessible by all-terrain vehicle or 
            snow machine by a trail that runs west from the confluence of 
            Caribou and Poker Creeks. Stay to the right at the "T" 
            junction about 3 miles up the valley: the left turn goes to the CB 
            and C3 sites, and the trail to Haystack Mountain. The passable 
            portion of the trail ends at the flume in the C2 valley bottom, and 
            an unmaintained, impassable trail goes up into the headwaters of the 
            main C2 tributary. The latitude and longitude listed below refer to 
            the flume. 
    

        Site History:
        The flume at C2 was first installed in about 1974.
    

        Site Synonyms:
        C-2, C2-1100, C2 Flume


General Characteristics: 



    
    

        Location: 
        The basin is located in the northwestern 
            "corner" of CPCRW. 
    

        Topo Map:
        Livengood (A-2), Alaska
    

        Latitude:
        65° 9.609' N
        Longitude:
        147° 36.392' W
    

        Study Area:
        
    

        Slope Aspect:
        SSE
        Elevation:
        322 m at the flume
    

        Terrace Height:
        
    

        Site Map:
        
        Site Image:
        


Vegetation: 



    
    

        Vegetation Type:
        Closed canopy mature white spruce, Closed canopy 
            birch-aspen, Open-canopy black spruce, Closed low birch and willow 
            shrub.
    

        Vegetation Description:
        The closed canopy mature white spruce vegetation type 
            is found as "stringers" in the steep, south-facing, 
            headwater slopes that are associated with topographic depression and 
            hence are quite wet. These 150-200 year old trees are probable 
            survivors of the regional wildfires associated with mining activity 
            since the turn of the century. The closed canopy birch and aspen 
            stands are found on the south- and west facing slopes, while the 
            open canopy black spruce is found on the east-facing slopes. The 
            valley bottom contains treeless closed low birch and willow shrub 
            (muskeg).


Soils: 



    
    

        Soil Classification:
        
        Soil Series:
        
        Parent Material:
        
    

        Forest Floor Thickness: 
        
        Permafrost Presence:
        
    

        Soil Profile Description:
        


Meteorology: 



    
    

        Meteorological Parameters:
        stream stage, water temperature, air 
temperature


Basin: 



    
    

        Stream Name:
        Caribou Creek trib C2
        Basin Area: 
        520 ha
    

        Latitude Range: 
        65o 9.435' to 65o 11.304'
        Longitude Range: 
        147o 34.536' to 147o 38.351'
    

        Stream Length: 
        2.2 km
        Stream Gradient: 
        7%
    

        Stream Order: 
        2
        Stream Width: 
        0.9 m
    

        Minimum Elevation: 
        315 m
        Maximum Elevation: 
        738 m
    

        Permafrost Area: 
        3.5%


Studies: 



    
    

        Keywords: 
        stream, basin, met station
    

        Data Types: 
        benthic organic matter, leaf litter input, 
            macroinvertebrate density, discharge, water temperature
    

        Study Forms: 
        hydrol2.std
    

        Datasets: 
        
    

        Comments: