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The Susitna River (IPA pronunciation: ) is a 300-mile-long (489 km) river in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It, along with the Matanuska River, drains the broad Matanuska-Susitna Valley south of the Alaska Range.
It rises in the Susitna Glacier on Mount Hayes in the Alaska Range near 63°30′N 147°15′W / 63.500°N 147.250°W / 63.500; -147.250. It flows in winding course generally southwest to Curry, then south, along the west side of the Talkeetna Mountains, past Talkeetna, Chulitna, and Susitna, and drains into Cook Inlet approximately 25 mi (40 km) west of Anchorage.
It receives the Yentna River from the northwest approximately 5 mi (8 km) north of Susitna. It is navigable to 85 mi (137 km) upstream from its mouth to Talkeetna.
The Susitna River is one of Southcentral Alaska's premier sport fishing streams, with significant runs of Chinook and Coho salmon, along with resident Grayling, Burbot, and Rainbow Trout. Located within a roadless area, access to the river is difficult and is made usuallly by power boat from the Susitna River or by floatplane.
Mat-Su Borough owns much of the land along the Susitna along with the Deshka River. The impacts of summer recreational use and tourists have caused loss of riparian vegetation and bank erosion along the Deshka's lower reaches which has been partially remedied through a restoration project in the summer of 2002. However, the borough currently lacks either regulations to prevent further damage or the means to enforce such regulations.