The lands, waterways, and cultural resources of the Chilkat River Watershed, including its tributaries, are of national and international significance. In 1982 the State of Alaska recognized this significance and established the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The preserve was established to protect and perpetuate the world’s largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their habitat. The Preserve consists of 48,000 acres of river bottom land of the Chilkat, Klehini and Tsirku Rivers. The Village of Klukwan lies within this preserve.