Kenai Alaska

Population: 7125

Location and Climate
Kenai is located on the western coast of the Kenai Peninsula, fronting Cook Inlet. It lies on the western boundary of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, on the Kenai Spur Highway. It is approximately 65 air miles and 155 highway miles southwest of Anchorage via the Sterling Highway. It lies at approximately 60.554440° North Latitude and -151.25833° West Longitude. (Sec. 05, T005N, R011W, Seward Meridian.) Kenai is located in the Kenai Recording District. The area encompasses 29.9 sq. miles of land and 5.6 sq. miles of water. Winter temperatures range from 4 to 22; summer temperatures vary from 46 to 65. Average annual precipitation is 20 inches.

History, Culture and Demographics
Prior to Russian settlement, Kenai was a Dena'ina Athabascan Indian village. Russian fur traders first arrived in 1741. At that time, about 1,000 Dena'ina lived in the village of Shk'ituk't, near the River. The traders called the people "Kenaitze," or "Kenai people." In 1791, a fortified Russian trading post, Fort St. Nicholas, was constructed for fur and fish trading. It was the second permanent Russian settlement in Alaska. In 1849, the Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church was established by Egumen Nicholai. In 1869 the U.S. military established a post for the Dena'ina Indians in the area, called Fort Kenay, which was abandoned in 1870 after Alaska was purchased by the U.S. A post office was established in 1899. Through the 1920s, commercial fishing was the primary activity. In 1940, homesteading enabled the area to develop. The first dirt road from Anchorage was constructed in 1951. In 1957, oil was discovered at Swanson River, 20 miles northeast of Kenai - the first major Alaska oil strike. The City was incorporated in 1960. In 1965, offshore oil discoveries in Cook Inlet fueled a period of rapid growth. Kenai has been a growing center for oil exploration, production and services since that time. A federally recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Kenaitze Indian Tribe. 12.1% of the population are Alaska Native or part Native. The Kenai River is a major sport fishing location for Anchorage residents and tourists. The river is world renown for trophy king and silver salmon. The Kenaitze (Tanaina Athabascans) live borough-wide and utilize the rich resources of Cook Inlet. During the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 3,003 total housing units, and 381 were vacant. 58 of these vacant housing units are used only seasonally. 2,869 residents were employed. The unemployment rate at that time was 12.44%, although 42.16% of all adults were not in the work force. The median household income was $45,962, per capita income was $20,789, and 9.83% of residents were living below the poverty level.

Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care
Water is supplied by three deep wells and is piped to 75% of households. A fourth well is planned. Sewage is piped and receives secondary treatment. The remaining 25% of households use individual water wells and septic systems. Natural gas from Enstar is primarily used for home heating purposes. Homer Electric Assoc. operates the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project and is part owner of the Alaska Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative. It also purchases electricity from Chugach Electric. A Borough refuse transfer station is located on Redoubt Ave. The Borough landfill is located in nearby Soldotna, at mile 110.4 Sterling Hwy. Electricity is provided by Homer Electric Association. There are 4 schools located in the community, attended by 1,559 students. Local hospitals or health clinics include Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna (262-4404); Dena'ina Health Clinic (283-7851); various private practitioners. The Kenai Health Center is a qualified Emergency Care Center. Specialized Care: Central Peninsula Counseling Services; Central Peninsula Mental Health Assoc. / Sprucewood Lodge; Forget-Me-Not Care Center; Community Outreach Program. Kenai is classified as a highway town/Sub-Regional Center, it is found in EMS Region 2J in the Kenai Peninsula Region. Emergency Services have highway, coastal, airport, and floatplane access, and are within 30 minutes of a higher-level satellite health care facility. Emergency service is provided by 911 Telephone Service and paid EMS Service. Auxiliary health care is provided by Kenai Fire Dept./EMS (283-7666); Central Emergency Services (262-4792/4453) and Central Peninsula General Hospital (262-4404) in Soldotna and various private practitioners.

Economy and Transportation
The City is the center of the oil and gas industry, providing services and supplies for Cook Inlet's oil and natural gas drilling and exploration. Tesoro Alaska's oil refining operations and Unocal's urea plant are located in North Kenai. Both in-state and out-of-state visitors provide a significant industry on the Peninsula. Other important economic sectors include sport, subsistence and commercial fishing, fish processing, timber and lumber, agriculture, transportation services, construction and retail trade. 234 area residents hold commercial fishing permits. The largest employers are the Borough School District, Unocal, Peak Oilfield Services, the Borough, and Central Peninsula General Hospital. The Challenger Learning Center of Alaska was completed in Spring 2000. Logging of spruce bark beetle-killed timber also occurs in the area. Kenai is accessible by the Sterling Highway to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Canada and the lower 48 states. The City-owned Kenai Municipal Airport provides a 7,575' asphalt runway, a 2,000' gravel strip, a float plane strip, and helicopter service. A Flight Service Station is available. Float plane facilities are also available at Island Lake and Arness Lake. There are five additional privately-owned airstrips in the vicinity. The Kenai City Dock and boat ramp are located near the mouth of the Kenai River. There are also a number of private commercial fish processing docks. Moorage is by buoys anchored in the Kenai River.

Source: State of Alaska, Department of Community and Economic Development.

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[graphic version Kenai Alaska]