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Bethel Alaska
60.47N - 161.45W
Population: 5736
Location: Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage.
History: Bethel was first established by Yupik Eskimos who called the village "Mumtrekhlogamute," meaning "Smokehouse People," named for the nearby fish smokehouse. There were 41 people in Bethel during the 1880 U.S. Census. At that time, it was an Alaska Commercial Company Trading Post. The Moravian Church established a mission in the area in 1884. The community was moved to its present location due to erosion at the prior site. A post office was opened in 1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading, transportation and distribution center for the region, which attracted Natives from surrounding villages. Over time, federal and state agencies established regional offices in Bethel. "
Culture: The region is fortunate in that rapid development did not occur before the importance of protecting the Native culture was realized. The traditional Yupik Eskimo practices and language remain predominant in the area. Subsistence activities and commercial fishing are major contributors to residents' livelihoods. The sale of alcohol is banned in the community, although importation or possession is allowed.
Economy: Bethel serves as the regional center for 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Food, fuel, transportation, medical care and other services for these villages are provided by businesses in Bethel. 50% of the jobs in Bethel are in government positions. Commercial fishing is an important source of income; 215 residents hold commercial fishing permits, primarily for salmon and herring roe net fisheries. Subsistence activities contribute substantially to villager's diets, particularly salmon, freshwater fish, game birds and berries.
Transportation: The State-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by two major passenger airlines, two cargo carriers, and numerous air taxi services. The airport ranks third in the state for total number of flights. It is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation and expansion. Two float plane bases are nearby, Hangar Lake and H Marker Lake. The Port of Bethel is the northern-most medium-draft port in the U.S. River travel is the primary means of local transportation in the summer, and it becomes a 150-mile ice road to surrounding villages in the winter. A barge service based in Bethel provides goods to the Kuskokwim villages. There are 16 miles of local roads.
Climate: Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area, with snowfall of 50 inches. Summer temperatures range from 62 to 42; winter temperatures average 19 to -2.
Facilities: Some residents are connected to the central piped water and sewer system. Approximately 75% of households have water delivered and sewage hauled by truck. Several facilities in Bethel have individual wells and septic tanks. For health reasons the City ruled in May 1994 that residents can no longer dispose of their own honeybuckets, but must use the City-operated truck haul service. Extensions of the piped systems to the City Subdivision and Old Town are under construction. Additional funding has been requested to connect 105 homes to the piped system, and to convert 50 homes from honeybucket to truck haul service.
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