The climate of the North Slope is characterized by long winters, cold 

 temperatures, and frequent winds. Normal temperature ranges are from 2 

 to I5°C in the summer and -30 to -22 C in the winter. Annual precipitation 

 along the Arctic Coastal Plain is approximately 13-15 cm, which includes 

 30-120 cm as snow, while in the Arctic Foothills, the annual precipitation 

 is about 25 cm, including 140 cm as snow. 



The Teshekpuk Section of the ACP Province is characterized by flat 

 topography, wet tundra, and numerous lakes and ponds. All plants, including 

 woody forms such as wi I low and heath, are low growing. In most areas tundra 

 vegetation occurs up to the stream banks and woody thickets are not pres- 

 ent. The vegetation of the Northern Section of the AFH Province consists 

 of tundra species with small stands of taller riparian shrub thickets (2-5 m 

 in height) along the river systems. 



Small river systems of the North Slope contain primarily resident 

 fish species, such as Arctic grayling, resident Arctic char, round white- 

 fish, burbot, and slimy sculpin, with estuarine species, such as fourhorn 

 sculpin, ninespine stickleback, and possibly whitefish species, entering 

 lower reaches. Larger river systems, such as the Sagavan i rk tok- I v i shak 

 drainage, also contain anadromous species, including Arctic char, chum 

 and pink salmon, broad whitefish, humpback whitefish, least cisco, and 

 Arctic Cisco, as well as the resident species. 



Desc ription of Study Rivers - Location and Gravel Removal Area 

 Character i st i cs 



Ugnuravik River . Ugnuravlk River is a medium, sinuous river which 

 originates on the Arctic Coastal Plain at an elevation of 100 m and flows 

 across coastal plain tundra for 65 km before emptying into the Beaufort 

 Sea. It is primarily confined to a single channel except for a few short 

 beaded sections in the upper reaches. The study site is approximately 6 km 

 from the mouth at an elevation of 2 m. 



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