Our Communities

Dillingham

Current Population:	2,475 (2002 est. by State Demographer, DOL/WD)
Incorporation Type:	1st Class City
Borough Located In:	Unorganized
School District:	Dillingham City Schools
Regional Native Corporation:	Bristol Bay Native Corporation
BBEDC Board Representitive:	Name: H. Robin Samuelsen
City Contact:	Phone: (907) 842-5211
Tribal Council Contact:	Phone: (907)

Location:
Dillingham is located at the extreme northern end of Nushagak Bay in northern Bristol Bay, at the confluence of the Wood and Nushagak Rivers. It lies 327 miles southwest of Anchorage, and is a 6 hour flight from Seattle. It lies at approximately 59.03972° North Latitude and -158.4575° West Longitude. (Sec. 21, T013S, R055W, Seward Meridian.) Dillingham is located in the Bristol Bay Recording District. The area encompasses 33.6 sq. miles of land and 2.1 sq. miles of water. The primary climatic influence is maritime, however the Arctic climate of the Interior also affects the Bristol Bay coast. Average summer temperatures range from 37 to 66; average winter temperatures range from 4 to 30. Annual precipitation is 26 inches, with 65 inches of snow. Heavy fog is common in July and August. Winds of up to 60-70 MPH may occur between December and March. The Nushagak River is ice-free from June through November.

History:
The area around Dillingham was inhabited by both Eskimos and Athabascans and became a trade center when Russians erected the Alexandrovski Redoubt (Post) in 1818. Local Native groups and Natives from the Kuskokwim Region, the Alaska Peninsula and Cook Inlet mixed together as they came to visit or live at the post. The community was known as Nushagak by 1837, when a Russian Orthodox mission was established. In 1881 the U.S. Signal Corps established a meteorological station at Nushagak. In 1884 the first salmon cannery in the Bristol Bay region was constructed by Arctic Packing Co., east of the site of modern-day Dillingham. Ten more were established within the next seventeen years. The post office at Snag Point and town were named after U.S. Senator Paul Dillingham in 1904, who had toured Alaska extensively with his Senate subcommittee during 1903. The 1918-19 influenza epidemic struck the region, and left no more than 500 survivors. A hospital and orphanage were established in Kanakanak after the epidemic, 6 miles from the present-day City Center. The Dillingham townsite was first surveyed in 1947. The City was incorporated in 1963.

Culture:
Traditionally a Yup'ik Eskimo area, with Russian influences, Dillingham is now a highly mixed population of non-Natives and Natives. The outstanding commercial fishing opportunities in the Bristol Bay area are the focus of the local culture.

Economy:
Dillingham is the economic, transportation, and public service center for western Bristol Bay. Commercial fishing, fish processing, cold storage and support of the fishing industry are the primary activities. 277 residents hold commercial fishing permits. During spring and summer, the population doubles. The city's role as the regional center for government and services helps to stabilize seasonal employment. Many residents depend on subsistence activities and trapping of beaver, otter, mink, lynx and fox provide cash income. Salmon, grayling, pike, moose, bear, caribou, and berries are harvested.

Facilities:
Around 90% of homes are fully plumbed. Dillingham's water is derived from three deep wells. Water is treated, stored in tanks (capacity is 1,250,000 gallons) and distributed. Approximately 40% of homes are served by the City's piped water system; 60% use individual wells. The core townsite is served by a piped sewage system; waste is treated in a sewage lagoon. However, the majority of residents (75%) have septic systems. The City has requested funds to extend piped water to the old airstrip and Kenny Wren Road, and expand sewer service to the northeast. Dillingham Refuse Inc., a private firm, collects refuse three times a week. The Senior Center collects aluminum for recycling, and NAPA recycles used batteries. The Chamber of Commerce coordinates recycling of several materials, including fishing web. A new landfill site with a baling facility is currently being planned. Nushagak Electric owns and operates a diesel plant in Dillingham which also supplies power to Aleknagik.

Transportation:
Dillingham can be reached by air and sea. The State-owned airport provides a 6,404' paved runway and Flight Service Station, and regular jet flights are available from Anchorage. A seaplane base is available 3 miles west at Shannon's Pond; it is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Division of Lands. A heliport is available at Kanakanak Hospital. There is a City-operated small boat harbor with 320 slips, a dock, barge landing, boat launch, and boat haul-out facilities. It is a tidal harbor and only for seasonal use. Two barge lines make scheduled trips from Seattle. There is a 23-mile DOT-maintained gravel road to Aleknagik; it was first constructed in 1960.

Climate:
The primary climatic influence is maritime, however the Arctic climate of the Interior also affects the Bristol Bay coast. Average summer temperatures range from 37 to 66; average winter temperatures range from 4 to 30. Annual precipitation is 26 inches, with 65 inches of snow. Heavy fog is common in July and August. Winds of up to 60-70 MPH may occur between December and March. The Nushagak River is ice-free from June through November.