Brooks Falls
Brooks Falls is a waterfall located within Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Located on the Brooks River a mile and a half (2.4 km) from Brooks Lake and an equal distance from Naknek Lake, the falls are famous for watching salmon leap over the 6 foot (1.8 m) falls to get to their Brooks Lake spawning grounds.[1] Consequently, large populations of brown bears are attracted to feed on the spawning salmon. Brown bears usually congregate at the falls in July through early September, and many well-known photos of bears have been taken there. July witnesses the greatest concentrations of bears of any month at the falls; up to 25 bears have been seen at one time at Brooks Falls in that month.[2][needs update] In September, a smaller number of bears (maximum about 18 at one time[not verified in body]) can be seen at the falls to feast on the later salmon runs.
History
Before the 1950s, when Brooks Camp was opened, there were fewer bears at the falls than there are today, and no more than 6–7 bears could be observed at one time. Since hunting was allowed, bear numbers were lower and salmon and sport fishing was the primary attraction to the falls. Now, with hunting banned and viewing controlled, bear numbers have boomed to quadruple their former number.[3][4]
The site's archaeological human remnants date back some 9,000 years, some of the oldest human remains in North America. Since the site is not far from the
Despite all the old artifacts near the falls, most attention continues to focus on the bears and salmon; it is regular to find up to ten bears at the falls at one time. As many as 43 bears have been sighted at the falls in a single day.[6]
Fish Ladder and Weir
In 1921, Kidawik Creek was renamed Brooks River, and Toms Lake renamed Brooks Lake. A controversial "stream improvement" was implemented in 1920 by the
See also
References
- ^ "Jumping Sockeye Salmon Brooks Fall Katmai National Park". Alaska in Pictures. Archived from the original on 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
- ^ "Brown Bears at Brooks Falls". National Park Service.
- ^ "Fishing". National Park Service.
- ISBN 9781888125627.
- ^ "Story of a House" (PDF). National Park Service.
- ^ "Brown Bears of Katmai". Katmai National Park and Preserve. National Park Service. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ISBN 9780979643279. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
External links
- NPS Brooks Falls Bearcam
- EXPLORE.org livecam, August 2021