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Coordinates: 61°23′N 150°15′W / 61.383°N 150.250°W / 61.383; -150.250
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[[File:Matanuska-Susitna Valley.jpg|300px|right|thumb|'''Matanuska-Susitna Valley''' shown shaded in red north of Anchorage, Alaska]]
{{Short description|Valley in Southcentral Alaska, north of Anchorage}}
{{Redirect|Mat-Su|the borough|Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska}}


[[File:Matanuska-Susitna Rivers region, Alaska.svg|thumb|Map of the region.]]
'''Matanuska-Susitna Valley''' (known locally as '''the Mat-Su''' or '''The Valley''') is an area in [[Southcentral Alaska]] south of the [[Alaska Range]] about 35 miles north of [[Anchorage, Alaska]].<ref name = alaska_visit>{{cite web
'''Matanuska-Susitna Valley''' ({{IPAc-en|m|æ|t|ə|ˈ|n|uː|s|k|ə|_|s|uː|ˈ|s|I|t|n|ə}}; known locally as the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in [[Southcentral Alaska]] south of the [[Alaska Range]] about {{convert|35|mi}} north of [[Anchorage, Alaska]].<ref name = alaska_visit>{{cite web
|title = About the Mat-Su: the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
|title = About the Mat-Su: the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
|date = 2011
|year = 2011
|url = http://www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/about-mat-su/
|url = http://www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/about-mat-su/
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed annually in Palmer at the [[Alaska State Fair]].<ref name = vegetables>{{cite news
It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed annually in Palmer at the [[Alaska State Fair]].<ref name = vegetables>{{cite news
|last = Johnson
|last = Johnson
Line 13: Line 15:
|date = 16 August 2010
|date = 16 August 2010
|url = http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2010/08/17/valley_life/doc4c6a263843ed9159213700.txt
|url = http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2010/08/17/valley_life/doc4c6a263843ed9159213700.txt
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
It includes the valleys of the [[Matanuska River | Matanuska]], [[Knik River | Kinik]], and [[Susitna River | Susitna]] Rivers.<ref name = alaska_trek>{{cite web
It includes the valleys of the [[Matanuska River|Matanuska]], [[Knik River|Knik]], and [[Susitna River|Susitna]] Rivers.<ref name = alaska_trek>{{cite web
|title = Matanuska-Susitna Valley
|title = Matanuska-Susitna Valley
|publisher = Alaska Trekker
|publisher = Alaska Trekker
|url = http://alaskatrekker.com/matsu.htm
|url = http://alaskatrekker.com/matsu.htm
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
11,000 of Mat-Su Valley residents commute to Anchorage for work.<ref name = KAB>{{cite web
11,000 of Mat-Su Valley residents commute to Anchorage for work (as of 2008).<ref name = KAB>{{cite web
|title = Kinik Arm Bridge
|title = Kinik Arm Bridge
|date = 2008
|year = 2008
|url = http://akcenter.org/sustainable-communities/bridge-to-nowhere
|url = http://akcenter.org/sustainable-communities/bridge-to-nowhere
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319044433/http://akcenter.org/sustainable-communities/bridge-to-nowhere
⚫
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
|archive-date=19 March 2012
⚫
It is the fastest growing region in [[Alaska]] and includes the towns of [[Palmer, Alaska|Palmer]], [[Wasilla, Alaska|Wasilla]], [[Big Lake, Alaska|Big Lake]], [[Houston, Alaska|Houston]], [[Willow, Alaska|Willow]] and [[Talkeetna, Alaska|Talkeetna]].<ref name = alaska_visit/>
|access-date = 29 May 2017}}</ref>
⚫
It is the fastest growing region in [[Alaska]] and includes the towns of [[Palmer, Alaska|Palmer]], [[Wasilla, Alaska|Wasilla]], [[Big Lake, Alaska|Big Lake]], [[Houston, Alaska|Houston]], [[Willow, Alaska|Willow]], [[Sutton, Alaska|Sutton]], and [[Talkeetna, Alaska|Talkeetna]].<ref name = alaska_visit/> The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is primarily the land of the [[Dena'ina people|Dena'ina]] and [[Ahtna]] [[Alaskan Athabaskan|Athabaskan]] people.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Languages {{!}} Alaska Native Language Center|url=https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/languages.php|access-date=2021-04-29|website=www.uaf.edu}}</ref>


The valleys are shaped by three mountain ranges: the [[Alaska Range]], the [[Talkeetna Mountains]] and the [[Chugach Mountains]].<ref name = alaska_trek/> The Matanuska-Susitna Valley was carved by [[glacier]]s<ref name = alaksa_tours>{{cite web
The valleys are shaped by three mountain ranges: the [[Alaska Range]], the [[Talkeetna Mountains]] and the [[Chugach Mountains]].<ref name = alaska_trek/> The Matanuska-Susitna Valley was carved by [[glacier]]s
|title = Palmer/Wasilla Day Trips & Tours
|publisher = AlaskaTours
⚫
|date = 2011
|url = http://www.alaskatours.com/palmer_wasilla/default.aspx
⚫
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
leaving thousands of lakes.<ref name = outdoors>{{cite web
leaving thousands of lakes.<ref name = outdoors>{{cite web
|title = Mat-Su Outdoor Activities and Adventures
|title = Mat-Su Outdoor Activities and Adventures
|date = 2011
|year = 2011
|url = http://www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/the-great-outdoors/
|url = http://www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/the-great-outdoors/
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
Both the [[Matanuska River|Matanuska]] and [[Susitna River]]s have major [[salmon]] [[spawn (biology)|spawning]] streams. The area is home to 31 [[state park]]s and campgrounds.<ref name = parks>{{cite web
The Mat-Su rivers and lakes are home to the spawning grounds of [[Chinook salmon|chinook]], [[coho salmon|coho]], [[sockeye salmon|sockeye]], [[pink salmon|pink]], and [[chum salmon|chum]] salmon.<ref name = salmon>{{cite web
|title = Conserving Salmon Habitat in the Mat-Su Basin
|publisher = Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
|year = 2008
|url = http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/alaska/howwework/matsu_salmon_strategic_action_plan_execsummweb.pdf
⚫
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
The area is home to 31 [[state park]]s and campgrounds.<ref name = parks>{{cite web
|title = Find a Park, Campgrounds, Alaska State Parks
|title = Find a Park, Campgrounds, Alaska State Parks
|publisher = Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
|publisher = Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
|date = 16 December 2010
|date = 16 December 2010
|url = http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/index.htm
|url = http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/index.htm
|accessdate = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>


The {{convert|23000|sqmi|adj=on}} [[Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska|Matanuska-Susitna Borough]]<ref name = alaska_visit_visitors>{{cite web
The [[Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska|Matanuska-Susitna Borough]] (the Alaskan equivalent of a county, encompassing more than 24,000 square miles) governs the Mat-Su region and the sparsely-populated southwest portion of the Copper River Basin northeast of the Chugach and Talkeetna Mountains. Borough officials estimate rapid growth since 2000 drove the population to 80,000 in 2007. A few hundred [[Alaska Natives]] were joined by small numbers of "[[wikt:sourdough|Alaska sourdoughs]]" between 1900 and 1930 when hundreds of "colonists" relocated by the Federal Government in the early 30's colonized the eastern Matanuska Valley between Wasilla, Palmer, and the Butte. The colonists came as part of the Matanuska Colony "New Deal" agricultural experiment sponsored by the federal government. In the 1970s relatively large numbers of newcomers to Alaska came to Anchorage, then relocated {{convert|40|mi|km}} up the Glenn Highway to the largely rural Matanuska Valley where a "Alaskan country" lifestyle pervades.
|title = Visitors: Yahoo Mat-Su! Alaska Vacations for Visitors and Alaska Residents
[[Image:Matanuska Glacier (js).jpg|450px|left|thumb|Matanuska Glacier]]
|url = http://www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/
The Susitna, Matanuska, and Knik rivers are all very active glacial streams terminating in the silty [[Cook Inlet]]. The rivers convey large amounts of glacial silt that lends itself well to [[farming]]. The valley is one of the few areas in [[Alaska]] which supports [[agriculture]].
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref> (the Alaskan equivalent of a county)<ref name = alaska_trek/> governs the Mat-Su Valley.
According to the 2020 Census, the borough's population is 107,081, a 21.7% increase since 2010.<ref name = census>{{cite web
|title = U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Alaska's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting
|publisher = United States 2010 Census
|url = https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/matanuskasusitnaboroughalaska/POP010220
|access-date = 7 November 2021}}</ref>


The City of Wasilla was founded on [[Dena'ina people|Dena'ina]] land when the [[Alaska Railroad]] was constructed in 1917. Knik, also on Dena'ina land, was the first boom-town in the valley and predates Wasilla. In 1893 the Alaska Commercial Company was built at Knik, and in 1898 Knik was settled by trappers and gold miners.
The region is also home to the [[Matanuska-Susitna College]] and the ''[[Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman]]'' newspaper. The Susitna Valley is also home to the annual Talkeetna Bluegrass Festival, [[Alaska]]'s largest camping-oriented music festival. 2006 marked the 25th anniversary of the Festival.

Talkeetna began in the late 1890s, with the construction of a trading station and later the Alaska Railroad. Today, Talkeetna serves as a tourist hotspot, and the starting point for mountaineers who climb Denali.<ref name="history">{{cite web
|title = Past and Present
⚫
|year = 2011
|url = http://www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/about-mat-su/past-and-present/
⚫
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>

The Mat-Su Valley was explored by Russians in 1818.

In 1935, as part of the [[New Deal]] 203 families from the Midwest travelled to Alaska and started the [[Matanuska Valley Colony]].<ref name=colony>{{cite news
|title = Thriving at 75: Mat-Su marks Colony anniversary
|newspaper = Anchorage Daily News
|date = 4 June 2010
|url = http://www.adn.com/2010/06/04/1307760/alive-at-75-valley-marks-colony.html
|access-date = 23 April 2011
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111105155342/http://www.adn.com/2010/06/04/1307760/alive-at-75-valley-marks-colony.html
|archive-date = 5 November 2011
}}</ref> Families were specifically chosen from the states of [[Minnesota]], [[Wisconsin]] and [[Michigan]], due to their similarly cold winter climates.<ref name = litsite>{{cite web
|title = The Matanuska Valley Colony
|url = http://www.litsite.org/index.cfm?section=Digital-Archives&page=Industry&cat=Agriculture&viewpost=2&ContentId=2752
|access-date = 16 October 2014}}</ref>

The 1939 [[Slattery Report]] on Alaskan development identified the region as one of the areas where new settlements would be established through Jewish [[immigration]]. This plan was never implemented.

The region is also home to the [[Matanuska-Susitna College]]<ref name = college>{{cite web
|title = About Mat-Su College
|publisher = Mat-Su College, Alaska
|year = 2011
|url = http://matsu.alaska.edu/about/
|access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref>
and the ''[[Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman]]'' newspaper.<ref name=frontiersman>{{cite web
|title = About Us: Frontiersman
|publisher = Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Newspaper
|year = 2011
|url = http://www.frontiersman.com/about_us/
|access-date = 23 April 2011
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110508213549/http://www.frontiersman.com/about_us/
|archive-date = 8 May 2011
}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Alaska}}
*[[Anchorage metropolitan area]]
*[[Anchorage metropolitan area]]
*[[Goose Bay Airport (Alaska)]]
*[[Matanuska Formation]]
*[[Matanuska Formation]]
*[[Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska]]
*[[Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
Line 63: Line 117:


{{Alaska}}
{{Alaska}}
{{Authority control}}


{{coord|61|23|N|150|15|W|display=title}}
{{Coord|61|23|N|150|15|W|display=title}}


[[Category:Valleys of Alaska]]
[[Category:Valleys of Alaska]]
[[Category:Landforms of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Landforms of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Regions of Alaska]]
[[Category:Regions of Alaska]]

[[simple:Matanuska-Susitna Valley]]

Latest revision as of 17:42, 13 October 2024

"Mat-Su" redirects here. For the borough, see Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska.
Map of the region.

Matanuska-Susitna Valley (/mætəˈnuːskə suːˈsɪtnə/; known locally as the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage, Alaska.[1] It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed annually in Palmer at the Alaska State Fair.[2] It includes the valleys of the Matanuska, Knik, and Susitna Rivers.[3] 11,000 of Mat-Su Valley residents commute to Anchorage for work (as of 2008).[4] It is the fastest growing region in Alaska and includes the towns of Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, Houston, Willow, Sutton, and Talkeetna.[1] The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is primarily the land of the Dena'ina and Ahtna Athabaskan people.[5]

The valleys are shaped by three mountain ranges: the Alaska Range, the Talkeetna Mountains and the Chugach Mountains.[3] The Matanuska-Susitna Valley was carved by glaciers leaving thousands of lakes.[6] The Mat-Su rivers and lakes are home to the spawning grounds of chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, and chum salmon.[7] The area is home to 31 state parks and campgrounds.[8]

The 23,000-square-mile (60,000 km2) Matanuska-Susitna Borough[9] (the Alaskan equivalent of a county)[3] governs the Mat-Su Valley. According to the 2020 Census, the borough's population is 107,081, a 21.7% increase since 2010.[10]

The City of Wasilla was founded on Dena'ina land when the Alaska Railroad was constructed in 1917. Knik, also on Dena'ina land, was the first boom-town in the valley and predates Wasilla. In 1893 the Alaska Commercial Company was built at Knik, and in 1898 Knik was settled by trappers and gold miners.

Talkeetna began in the late 1890s, with the construction of a trading station and later the Alaska Railroad. Today, Talkeetna serves as a tourist hotspot, and the starting point for mountaineers who climb Denali.[11]

The Mat-Su Valley was explored by Russians in 1818.

In 1935, as part of the New Deal 203 families from the Midwest travelled to Alaska and started the Matanuska Valley Colony.[12] Families were specifically chosen from the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, due to their similarly cold winter climates.[13]

The 1939 Slattery Report on Alaskan development identified the region as one of the areas where new settlements would be established through Jewish immigration. This plan was never implemented.

The region is also home to the Matanuska-Susitna College[14] and the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman newspaper.[15]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "About the Mat-Su: the Matanuska-Susitna Valley". 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  2. ^ Johnson, Greg (16 August 2010). "Green Envy". Frontiersman. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Matanuska-Susitna Valley". Alaska Trekker. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Kinik Arm Bridge". 2008. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Languages | Alaska Native Language Center". www.uaf.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  6. ^ "Mat-Su Outdoor Activities and Adventures". 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Conserving Salmon Habitat in the Mat-Su Basin" (PDF). Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership. 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Find a Park, Campgrounds, Alaska State Parks". Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Visitors: Yahoo Mat-Su! Alaska Vacations for Visitors and Alaska Residents". Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  10. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Alaska's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting". United States 2010 Census. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Past and Present". 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  12. ^ "Thriving at 75: Mat-Su marks Colony anniversary". Anchorage Daily News. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  13. ^ "The Matanuska Valley Colony". Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  14. ^ "About Mat-Su College". Mat-Su College, Alaska. 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  15. ^ "About Us: Frontiersman". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Newspaper. 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
[edit]

61°23′N 150°15′W / 61.383°N 150.250°W / 61.383; -150.250

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Matanuska-Susitna_Valley&oldid=1250979134"