Knik Glacier in the context of Denaʼina language

Knik Arm (Dena'ina: Nuti) is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches of Cook Inlet, the other being Turnagain Arm. Knik Glacier empties into the Knik Arm. The Port of Anchorage is located on the arm.

The Knik River /kˈnɪk/ (Dena'ina: Skitnu; Ahtna: Scitna’) is a 25-mile-long (40 km) river in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its source is at Knik Glacier, from which it flows northwest and west and empties into the head of Cook Inlet's Knik Arm, near the mouth of the Matanuska River. It is bridged twice (old and new bridges) where the Old Glenn Highway crosses it near the Butte, and also bridged on the Hayflats.

It is characterized by a broad flat plain with a bed of finely ground gravel and sand and silt. During windstorms, large quantities of fine material is blown from the riverbed and deposited in locations generally downstream or west. The river itself is relatively shallow and wide and considered a class I float. It drops about 400 feet (120 m) from the glacier to the salt water, or roughly 16 feet (4.9 m) per mile. The 4 miles (6.4 km) above the hayflats bridge is unusual in that it remains unfrozen most winters because the Eklutna project discharges warmer water into the tailrace. Discharge normally is about 5000 to 6000 ft3/s in the summer (140 to 170 m3/s), with floods of 60,000 ft3/s (1700 m3/s) or more not uncommon.