Dillingham, Alaska
Encyclopedia

Natural resources

Dillingham was once known as the Pacific salmon capital of the world and commercial fishing remains an important part of the local economy. Today, the Alaska salmon fishery
Alaska salmon fishery
The Alaskan salmon fishery was saved due to strict mitigation measures and the implementation of policies. Alaska's successful conservation of their salmon resources is reflected in recent healthy and abundant salmon runs...

 is one of the only certified sustainable wild salmon fisheries left in the world and Dillingham is an important port to the Bristol Bay fishery, which annually provides most of the total Alaska salmon value overall. Dillingham, in terms of population, is the largest community in the Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...

 region, renowned for its world class wild salmon fishing industry. The Arctic Packing Company erected cannery buildings in 1883 and began operations the following year with a pack of 400 cases. It was not until 1959 that the fisheries were able to forecast the salmon runs in western Alaska, enabling an expansion of fishing and fishery studies in the 1960s. The 1970s brought many technological advancements and record enrollments into the fishery studies programs.

Throughout the 1980s and the early 1990s millions of sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...

 were harvested and sold to foreign markets. This introduced the need to regulate the amount of fish being harvested every summer.

Commercial fishing today is not nearly as lucrative as it once was. This is due in part to competition in international markets from fish farms. But because of a parasite in Chile-based farmed salmon, as well as increased demand for wild Alaska salmon, base-prices for Bristol Bay wild-sockeye from many fishing companies increased to $0.95 a pound in 2010, much higher than the low-price of $0.42 a pound in 2001. This means that fishermen were paid better wages, and the value of the fishery this year was worth over $40 million more than last year.

Dillingham is an important gateway to many eco-tourism opportunities. This includes Wood-Tikchik State Park
Wood-Tikchik State Park
Wood-Tikchik State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Alaska north of Dillingham. Over 1.6 million acres in area—about the size of the state of Delaware, it is the largest state park in Alaska....

, the largest state park in the United States known for its great fishing opportunities. Dillingham is also the headquarters for nearby Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
Dominated by the Ahklun Mountains in the north and the cold waters of Bristol Bay to the south, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge confronts the traveler with a kaleidoscope of landscapes. The natural forces that have shaped this land range from the violent and powerful to the geologically patient...

, home to walruses, seals, terrestrial mammals, migratory birds, fish and includes one of the largest wild herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...

 fisheries in the world. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge was established to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity, including salmon, to fulfill international treaty obligations; to provide for continued subsistence use; and to ensure necessary water quality and quantity.

In 2010 near Naknek, geothermal energy was in advanced stages to provide low-power energy to the Bristol Bay hub Dillingham, as well as the dozens of villages nearby.

Also in 2010, the City of Dillingham voted to re-authorize its position opposing the proposed Pebble Mine
Pebble Mine
Pebble Mine is the common name of an advanced mineral exploration project investigating a very large porphyry copper, gold, and molybdenum mineral deposit in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska, near Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark. The proposal to mine the ore deposit, using large-scale...

, a large gold-copper-molybdenum prospect located at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. The resolution explains that the value of the fishery totals about $100 million a year; that the commercial wild salmon fishery has been the backbone of livelihoods for more than 100 years; that the future of the renewable resource industry depends on its freshwater stream reputation; that local residents depend on subsistence activities which in turn depend on Bristol Bay's pristine freshwater streams and habitat, and Pebble threatens to destroy the last great wild salmon fishery on the planet.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,466 people, 884 households, and 599 families residing in the city. The population density was 73.4 per square mile (28.3/km²). There were 1,000 housing units at an average density of 29.7 per square mile (11.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.55% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 35.60% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.18% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.65% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.61% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 9.41% from two or more races. 3.49% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.

There were 884 households out of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 34.6% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,458, and the median income for a family was $57,417. Males had a median income of $47,266 versus $34,934 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $21,537. About 10.1% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Per-capita crime rates in Dillingham are persistently higher than state and national averages. In 2007, the city experienced the nation's highest rate of forcible rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...

 per person, with 1 incident for every 103.9 residents. The city ranked 22nd (out of 8,659 cities with available data) for overall violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...

, with 1 incident for every 32.8 residents . (A note of caution regarding interpretation of the UCR data from which this information is drawn can be found the FBI/UCR website .) The 2010 figures again demonstrate a high per-capita incidence of rape, indicating 1 incident for every 80.5 residents.

History

The area around Dillingham was inhabited by the Yupik
Central Alaskan Yup'ik people
The Yup'ik people , are an Eskimo people of western and southwestern Alaska ranging from southern Norton Sound southwards along the coast of the Bering Sea on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and along the northern coast of Bristol Bay as far east as Nushagak Bay and the northern Alaska...

 people. It became a trade center when Russians built Alexandrovski Redoubt (Post) there in 1818. The area was called Nushagak, after the Nushagak River
Nushagak River
The Nushagak River is a river in southwest Alaska, USA. It begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest to Nushagak Bay, an inlet of Bristol Bay, east of Dillingham, Alaska.The Mulchatna River is a major tributary...

. Nushagak became a place where different groups from the Kuskokwim River
Kuskokwim River
The Kuskokwim River or Kusko River is a river, long, in Southwest Alaska in the United States. It is the ninth largest river in the United States by average discharge volume at its mouth and seventeenth largest by basin drainage area.The river provides the principal drainage for an area of the...

, the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....

 and the Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....

 came to trade or live at the post. In 1837, a Russian Orthodox mission was built at Nushagak.

In 1881, after the Alaska Purchase
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...

 by the United States, the United States Signal Corps
United States Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, and has had an important role from...

 built a weather station at Nushagak. In 1884, the first salmon cannery in the Bristol Bay region was constructed east of the site of modern-day Dillingham. Ten more were built by 1900. The post office east of Nushagak at Snag Point and the town were named in 1904 after United States Senator Paul Dillingham
William P. Dillingham
William Paul Dillingham was an American Republican politician from the state of Vermont.-Early life:The son of Vermont Governor Paul Dillingham, William P. Dillingham was born on December 12, 1843, in Waterbury, Vermont, where he later attended the public schools...

, who had toured Alaska extensively with his Senate subcommittee in 1903.

In 1918 and 1919, an influenza epidemic left no more than 500 survivors around Dillingham. A hospital and orphanage were established in Kanakanak
Kanakanak, Alaska
Kanakanak is a neighborhood within the city of Dillingham in the Dillingham Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located at , about 10 km southwest of downtown Dillingham's famous togiak alley...

 after the epidemic, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Dillingham.

In 1974, the first regional AM radio station for the Bristol Bay region was built by the Dillingham City School District under an educational grant. Using the call letters KDLG
KDLG
KDLG is a non-commercial, public and community radio station in Dillingham, Alaska, broadcasting on 670 AM. Station programming includes a mix of nationally available NPR shows, Alaska Public Radio Network and local news, and music....

 and operating at 670 kHz, the station continues to provide education, entertainment, and important safety information to the fishing fleet and the surrounding communities. It is part of the National Public Radio (NPR) and Alaska Public Radio (APRN) networks.

Present day industries around Dillingham are fishing and canning, sport fishing, government-related jobs and tourism.

Dillingham attracted national attention in 2006 when the City of Dillingham installed 80 cameras at City owned facilities such as the dock, harbor and police station, funded by a Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...

 grant. The City justified them by stating that they enhanced the ability to monitor and enforcement at those facilities. Many criticized the project as an infringement on privacy and also that the funds were intended for national rather than local public safety issues. After spirited public debate, locally and nationally, the community held a referendum vote on the system on October 12, 2006, resulting in a rejection of the anti-camera initiative by a vote of 370 to 235.

On August 9, 2010, a DHC-3T Texas Turbine Otter crashed
2010 Alaska Turbo Otter crash
The 2010 Alaska Turbine Otter crash was a fatal accident that occurred on August 9, 2010, when a privately operated amphibious floatplane crashed near Aleknagik, Alaska, killing five of the nine passengers and crew...

 near Dillingham due to fog and reduced visibility. Former President Pro Tempore
President pro tempore
A President pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer...

  and Senator Ted Stevens
Ted Stevens
Theodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...

 was among the five killed aboard the plane. There were four survivors including former NASA Administrator and EADS executive Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe
Sean O'Keefe is the CEO of EADS North America, a subsidiary of the European aerospace firm EADS, a former Administrator of NASA, and former chancellor of Louisiana State University . O'Keefe is also a former member of the board of directors of DuPont...

.

Education

The University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....

 Bristol Bay Campus
Bristol Bay Campus
The Bristol Bay Campus is one of several rural campuses within the University of Alaska system. The campus is located in Dillingham, located in the heart of the Bristol Bay region, in Southwest Alaska.-External links:****...

 (BBC), located in Dillingham, became one of five rural campuses in the College of Rural Alaska in 1987. The campus serves an area of approximately 55000 square miles (142,449.3 km²) and a total of 32 communities as far south as Ivanof Bay, as far north as Port Alsworth, as far west as Togiak, and east to King Salmon. The main campus is located in Dillingham with outreach centers in King Salmon and Togiak. BBC offers Bachelor degrees, Associate degrees, Certificates, and Occupational Endorsements as well as local courses covering a variety of subjects from computers and welding to art. The Bristol Bay Campus also hosts an Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program (MAP) Agent.

See Also

  • Southwest Alaska
    Southwest Alaska
    Southwest Alaska is a region of the U.S. state of Alaska. The area is not exactly defined by any governmental administrative region; nor does it always have a clear geographic boundary.-Geography:...

  • Bristol Bay Campus
    Bristol Bay Campus
    The Bristol Bay Campus is one of several rural campuses within the University of Alaska system. The campus is located in Dillingham, located in the heart of the Bristol Bay region, in Southwest Alaska.-External links:****...

  • Wood-Tikchik State Park
    Wood-Tikchik State Park
    Wood-Tikchik State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Alaska north of Dillingham. Over 1.6 million acres in area—about the size of the state of Delaware, it is the largest state park in Alaska....

  • Nushagak Bay
    Nushagak Bay
    Nushagak Bay is a large estuary covering over 100 km2 in southwest part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It opens to Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the eastern Bering Sea north of the Alaska Peninsula....


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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