Oksrukuyik Creek NEON - United States of America

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Basic Information
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Site Name
Oksrukuyik Creek NEON
Short name
OKSR
Country
United States of America
Web Address
https://www.neonscience.org/field-sites/oksr
Site Manager
Chris Baird
Site Description
Oksrukuyik Creek (OKSR) is an aquatic NEON field site located on the North Slope of Alaska. It is NEON's northernmost aquatic site. Oksrukuyik Creek is a wadeable stream flowing through the open tundra north of the Brooks Range before draining into the Sagavanirktok River. It is encompassed within a 57.8 km2 (14,300 acre) watershed. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Oksrukuyik Creek has been a popular subject of study due to its proximity to Toolik Field Station, whose teams have been studying the creek for decades as part of the Arctic Long-Term Ecological Research Network (ARC LTER). OKSR is part of NEON’s Tundra Domain (D18), which includes the northern and western parts of Alaska. D18 has two terrestrial sites and one other aquatic site. OKSR is colocated with the TOOL terrestrial site and is also near the Toolik Lake (TOOK) aquatic site.
Last modified
2025-09-18 10:41:54

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
2016
Observed properties
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
GERI✔This site is a verified "GERI" member.
NEON✔ (OKSR)This site is a verified "NEON" member.
Photos
OKSR Field Technician Collecting Discharge Data
OKSR Field Technician Collecting Discharge Data
Geographic
View in site map
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 68.66975 Longitude: -149.14302

Size
ca. 800.00ha
Elevation (average)
766.00msl
Elevation (min)
750.00msl
Elevation (max)
1100.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
GEO-BON Biome
Fresh water rivers
Biome
Fresh Water Rivers
Ecosystem Type
Rivers
Fresh Water Rivers
Tundra
Air Temperature: Average Annual
-9.00°C
Precipitation Annual
316.00mm
Geology
OKSR sits on glacial and alluvial deposits as the result of outwash of Itkillik phase I glaciation.
Vegetation
Due to extremely cold temperatures and soil underlain by permafrost, OKSR’s riparian vegetation forms thick mats that rarely surpass 1 m (3.3 ft.) in height and do not overhang the creek. The vegetation is dominated by cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) and bogs of water sedge (Carex aquatilis), with dwarf birch (Betula nana) and dwarf willow (Salix spp.).
Soils
The substrate in Oksrukuyik Creek is primarily cobble mixed with boulder. OKSR sits in a continuous permafrost zone, although taliks--small pockets of non-frozen material--often exist beneath lakes and rivers. OKSR is located on rolling till plains and moraines. The lowlands have a thick organic layer, while the higher located soils are gelic (frost-churned) and exposed at the surface. The soils at the nearby terrestrial site, TOOL, are characterized as Typic Histoturbels in the order Gelisols. These soils contain permafrost with a thick layer of organic matter at the surface and are often saturated for long periods of time. The high organic matter in the soils is mostly due to persistent cold temperatures that limit decomposition and promote the accumulation of organic material from vegetation. This organic material insulates the underlying permafrost.
Hydrology
Oksrukuyik Creek drains a cluster of lakes at its headwaters and flows northeast into the Sagavanirktok River. Its water sources are primarily snowmelt, rainfall, and lake inputs. Because it lacks glacial runoff or deep mineral spring inputs, it is classified as a clear-water tundra river. OKSR has zero discharge from October to May, as the stream is frozen solid during these months. Discharge increases and remains steady following the late May thaw, with high flow events in response to summer rainstorms. The flow decreases in September as precipitation transitions to snow and the stream begins to refreeze.
Protection Level (IUCN category)
Category V – Protected Landscape/Seascape/Area
Site Type
Platform
Design of Experimentation
mainly experimentation
Scale of Experimentation
catchment scale
Design of Observation
mainly observation
Scale of Observation
entire catchment
Permanent Power Supply
Yes
Accessible All Year
Yes
Permanent Operation
Yes