Aleknagik Seaplane Base

Aleknagik is located at the head of Wood River on the southeast end of Lake Aleknagik, 16 miles northwest of Dillingham. Aleknagik is named after Aleknagik Lake. Aleknagik means "wrong way home" in Yupik. Yupiks returning to their homes along the Nushagak River would sometimes become lost in the fog and find themselves swept up the Wood River to Aleknagik Lake by the tide.

Wood River and Aleknagik Lake have been used historically as summer fish camps. Aleknagik means "Wrong Way Home," because Natives returning to their homes along the Nushagak River would sometimes become lost in the fog and find themselves swept up the Wood River with the tide, inadvertently arriving at Aleknagik Lake. The 1929 U.S. Census found 55 people living in the "Wood River village" area to the south. During 1930, there were five families living on the shores of the lake year-round, the Waskeys. Polleys, Hansons, Yakos, and Smiths. A log cabin territorial school was built on the south shore of the lake in 1933, and Josie Waskey was the first teacher. Attracted by the school, other facilities, and plentiful fish, game and timber, a number of families from Goodnews, Togiak, and Kulukak area relocated to Aleknagik. A post office was established in 1937. A two-story framed school with a teacher apartment was constructed in 1938. By 1939, Aleknagik had 78 residents, over 30 buildings, and a small sawmill. In the late 1940s, a Seventh-Day Adventist Mission and School was established on the north shore. During the 1950s, a Moravian Church and a Russian Orthodox Church were built in Aleknagik and over 35 families lived along the lake. In 1959, the state constructed a 25-mile road connecting the south shore to Dillingham. The road was passable only during the summer months, until the late 1980s, when it was upgraded and maintained year-round. The City was incorporated in 1973. Over 24 additional square miles were annexed to the City in April 2000.

In the late 1800s there were about 200 people in Aleknagik and the other Wood River villages. The 1918-1919 influenza epidemic killed most of the residents of the villages. The few survivors were moved out of the area. In the 1920s former residents of the area started drifting back to Aleknagik, and the village grew to about 40 people by 1931. A United States Post Office was opened in 1937 by Mable Smith. By 1940, Aleknagik had over 30 buildings, including a community school, church, and small sawmill. The decline of a Seventh-day Adventist colony across the lake from Aleknagik brought several new families to Aleknagik.

In 1946, a territorial school was constructed near Aleknagik. During this period, a Moravian Church, a Russian Orthodox Church and a Seventh-day Adventist mission school were established in the community. In the 1960s, the State of Alaska constructed a 41 km (25 mile) road connecting Aleknagik to Dillingham.

Location & QuickFacts

FAA Information Effective:	2005-10-27
Airport Identifier:	Z33
Longitude/Latitude:	158-37-24.9210W/59-16-26.3210N -158.623589/59.273978 (Estimated)
Elevation:	7 ft / 2.13 m (Estimated)
Land:	0 acres
From nearest city:	0 nautical miles NW of Aleknagik, AK
Location:	Bristol Bay County, AK
Magnetic Variation:	20E (1985)

Owner & Manager

Ownership:	Privately owned
Owner:	Moody
Address:	Aleknagik, AK 99555
Manager:	E L Smith
Address:	Aleknagik, AK 99555

Airport Operations and Facilities

Airport Use:	Private
Wind indicator:	Yes
Segmented Circle:	No
Control Tower:	No
Attendance Schedule:	UNATNDD
Landing fee charge:	No
Sectional chart:	Kodiak
Region:	AAL - Alaska
Boundary ARTCC:	ZAN - Anchorage
Tie-in FSS:	DLG - Dillingham
FSS on Airport:	No
FSS Phone:	907-842-5275
FSS Toll Free:	LC842-5275
Alternate FSS:	ENA - Kenai
Alt. FSS Toll Free:	1-800-WX-BRIEF
NOTAMs Facility:	DLG (NOTAM-d service avaliable)

Airport Communications

CTAF:

122.900

Airport Services

Fuel available:	80 FUEL AVBL ACROSS RIVER AT SCOW.
Airframe Repair:	NONE
Power Plant Repair:	NONE
Bottled Oxygen:	NONE
Bulk Oxygen:	NONE

Runway Information

Runway E/W

Dimension:

10000 x 1000 ft / 3048.0 x 304.8 m

Surface:

WATER,

	Runway E	Runway W
Traffic Pattern:	Left	Left
Markings:	None,	None,
Runway End Identifier:	No	No
Centerline Lights:	No	No
Touchdown Lights:	No	No

Radio Navigation Aids

ID	Type	Name	Ch	Freq	Var	Dist
BTS	NDB	Wood River		429.00	20E	16.7 nm
DLG	VOR/DME	Dillingham	111X	116.40	20E	17.0 nm

Remarks

SEAPLANE BASE USED DURING WINTER MONTHS WHEN RIVER IS FROZEN.

Operational Statistics

Aircraft Operations:	30/Month
Air Taxi:	42.9%
General Aviation Itinerant:	57.1%

Aleknagik Seaplane Base

Address: Bristol Bay County, AK

Tel:

Images and information placed above are from
http://www.airport-data.com/airport/Z33/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleknagik,_Alaska

We thank them for the data!