Russell Fiord

Fjord in Alaska, US

Russell Fiord, also spelled Russell Fjord, is a fjord in the U.S. state of Alaska. It extends north to Disenchantment Bay, the terminus of Hubbard Glacier, at the head of Yakutat Bay. The fjord was named in 1901 by Marcus Baker of the U.S. Geological Survey for explorer Israel Russell, who discovered the estuary in 1891 while exploring the Yakutat region.

The opening into Disenchantment Bay has been periodically blocked by Hubbard Glacier, turning Russell Fiord into a lake collecting freshwater run-off from the glacier. The entrance closed from May to October 1986, and again briefly in 2002.^[1]

Russell Fiord Wilderness

The Russell Fiord Wilderness is a wilderness area within the Tongass National Forest, protecting 348,701 acres (1,411 km²) surrounding the fjord. The wilderness was established by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980 and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness borders it to the northwest.

References

^ Motyka, Roman J.; Truffer, Martin (2007). "Hubbard Glacier, Alaska: 2002 closure and outburst of Russell Fjord and postflood conditions at Gilbert Point". Journal of Geophysical Research. 112. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007.

Protected areas of Alaska

Federal

National Parks	Denali Gates of the Arctic Glacier Bay Katmai Kenai Fjords Kobuk Valley Lake Clark Wrangell–St. Elias
National Historical Parks	Klondike Gold Rush (Chilkoot Trail) Sitka
National Monuments	Admiralty Island (USFS) Aleutian Islands World War II (FWS) Aniakchak Cape Krusenstern Misty Fjords (USFS)
National Preserves	Bering Land Bridge Noatak Yukon–Charley Rivers
National Wildlife Refuges	Alaska Maritime Alaska Peninsula Arctic Becharof Innoko Izembek Kanuti Kenai Kodiak Koyukuk Nowitna Selawik Tetlin Togiak Yukon Delta Yukon Flats
National Forests	Chugach Tongass
Forest Service units	Mendenhall Glacier
U.S. Wilderness Areas	Aleutian Islands Andreafsky Becharof Bering Sea Bogoslof Chamisso Chuck River Coronation Island Denali Endicott River Forrester Island Gates of the Arctic Glacier Bay Hazy Islands Innoko Izembek Karta River Katmai Kenai Kobuk Valley Kootznoowoo Koyukuk Kuiu Lake Clark Maurille Islands Misty Fjords Mollie Beattie Noatak Nunivak Petersburg Creek–Duncan Salt Chuck Pleasant/Lemesurier/Inian Islands Russell Fiord Saint Lazaria Selawik Semidi Simeonof South Baranof South Etolin South Prince of Wales Stikine-LeConte Tebenkof Bay Togiak Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Tuxedni Unimak Warren Island West Chichagof-Yakobi Wrangell–Saint Elias
Wild and Scenic Rivers	Alagnak Alatna Andreafsky Aniakchak Beaver Creek Birch Creek Charley Chilikadrotna Delta Fortymile Gulkana Ivishak John Kobuk North Fork Koyukuk Mulchatna Noatak Nowitna Salmon Selawik Sheenjek Tinayguk Tlikakila Unalakleet Wind
National Conservation Area	Steese

State

State Parks	Afognak Island Chilkat Chugach Denali Kachemak Bay Point Bridget Shuyak Island Wood-Tikchik
State Forests	Haines Southeast Tanana Valley