THE KENAI PENINSULA CITIES OF SOLDOTNA, KENAI, AND STERLING

Soldotna, Alaska

Population: 4059

Location and Climate

Soldotna is on the Kenai Peninsula, 150 highway miles south of Anchorage, at the junction of the Sterling and Kenai Spur Highways. It lies 10 miles inland from Cook Inlet, and borders the Kenai River. It lies at approximately 60.49° North Latitude and -151.06° West Longitude. Winter temperatures range from 6 to 24; summers range from 45 to 66. Average annual precipitation is 17.4 inches.

History, Culture and Demographics

The Peninsula has historically been the home to Kenaitze Indians, and was developed by non-Natives for its rich resources, including fish, timber and oil. Soldotna was named for a nearby stream; it is a Russian word meaning "soldier." Others believe it is derived from an Indian word meaning "stream fork." The first homesteaders were World War II veterans, given a 90-day preference over non-veterans in selecting and filing for property in 1947. That same year, the Sterling Highway right-of-way was constructed from Cooper Landing to Kenai. Soldotna was the site for the bridge crossing the Kenai River. A post office opened in 1949, with stores and a community center shortly thereafter. Soldotna continued to develop because of its strategic location at the Sterling-Kenai Spur Highway junction. In 1957, oil was discovered in the Swanson River region, bringing new growth and development. Soldotna was incorporated as a city in 1960. About 7 percent of the population are Alaska Native or part Native.

The Kenai River offers top trophy king salmon fishing during June and July. A 97 lb. 4 oz. world record king salmon was taken from these waters in 1985, and catching kings of over 60 pounds is not uncommon here. The Central Peninsula Sports Center provides an ice rink, racquetball courts, weight room and meeting facilities. During the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 1,670 total housing units, and 205 were vacant. 59 of these vacant housing units are used only seasonally. 1,687 residents were employed. The unemployment rate at that time was 8.91%, although 36.89% of all adults were not in the work force. The median household income was $48,420, per capita income was $21,740, and 6.59% of residents were living below the poverty level.

Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care

All homes are completely plumbed. Water is derived from four wells, is treated, stored, and piped throughout the community. A new million-gallon steel tank and a second 500,000-gal. tank, built in the 1970s, now provide sufficient capacity. Piped sewage receives secondary treatment with an activated sludge process; effluent discharges into the Kenai River. Individual wells and septic tanks are used by a few households outside of the core area. Refuse is collected by a private company, and disposed of in the Borough's Class 1 regional landfill and baling facility at mile 98.5 Sterling Hwy. in Soldotna. Recycling and hazardous waste disposal are available. Natural gas from Enstar is primarily used by residents for home heating. Homer Electric Assoc. operates the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project and is part owner of the Alaska Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative, which operates a gas turbine plant in Soldotna. It also purchases electricity from Chugach Electric. Electricity is provided by Alaska Electric G&T and Homer Electric Association. There are eight schools located in the community, attended by 3,030 students. Local hospitals or health clinics include Central Peninsula General Hospital (262-4404); Central Peninsula Health Center (262-4120). The hospital is a qualified Acute Care facility and provides Critical Care Air Ambulance Service. Long Term Care: Heritage Place. Specialized Care: Frontier Training Center (health care, counseling, lodging); Family Recovery Center. Soldotna is classified as a small city, it is found in EMS Region 2J in the Kenai Peninsula Region. Emergency Services have highway, airport and floatplane access. Emergency service is provided by 911 Telephone Service and paid EMS Service. Auxiliary health care is provided by Central Emergency Services (262-4792/4453).

Economy and Transportation

The area economy is highly diverse. Kenai and Soldotna residents are employed in oil industry services for Cook Inlet oil and natural gas drilling and exploration. Oil refining operations occur north of Kenai in Nikiski. Other important economic sectors include sport, subsistence and commercial fishing, fish processing, government, timber and lumber, agriculture, transportation, construction, services and retail trade. 173 area residents hold commercial fishing permits. It is the site of the Central Peninsula General Hospital, the Kenai Peninsula Community College, the State Troopers' Headquarters, The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and the Borough and School District offices. The Soldotna Municipal Airport provides facilities for charter services and local air traffic. There are two paved runways, one is 5,000' long by 132' wide, the other is 1,500' long by 50' wide. The Kenai Municipal Airport, located 10 miles away, offers scheduled flights and float plane facilities. Seaplanes may also land at nearby Mackeys Lakes. There are four additional private landing strips in Soldotna, and a heliport for medical emergencies at Central Peninsula General Hospital. The Sterling Highway provides access to Anchorage, the George Parks and Alcan highways.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 60.55° North Latitude and -151.26° West Longitude. 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 percent of households. A fourth well is planned. Sewage is piped and receives secondary treatment. The remaining 25 percent 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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sterling Alaska

Population: 4888

Location and Climate

Sterling is located on the Sterling Highway at the junction of the Moose and Kenai Rivers, 18 miles east of the City of Kenai. It lies at approximately 60.537220° North Latitude and -150.76472° West Longitude. (Sec. 1, T005N, R009W, Seward Meridian.) Sterling is located in the Kenai Recording District. The area encompasses 77.3 sq. miles of land and 2.1 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

The Kenai Peninsula has been the home of the Kenaitze Indians for hundreds of years. Sterling is a community that apparently had its name formalized in 1954 when a post office was established. An archaeological site, containing prehistoric house pits, has been discovered at the Isaac Walton Campground. The State Department of Natural Resources plans to excavate the site around 2002. 4.6% of the population are Alaska Native or part Native. During the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 2,554 total housing units, and 878 were vacant. 706 of these vacant housing units are used only seasonally. 1,926 residents were employed. The unemployment rate at that time was 9.7%, although 43.98% of all adults were not in the work force. The median household income was $47,700, per capita income was $20,741, and 9.98% of residents were living below the poverty level.

Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care

Occupied houses use individual water wells and septic tank systems, and are fully plumbed. The school operates its own well water system. Many homes in this area are used only seasonally. The Borough provides a refuse transfer facility at mile 85 Sterling Hwy. Electricity is provided by Homer Electric Association. There is one school located in the community, attended by 225 students. Local hospitals or health clinics include Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna (262-4404). Sterling 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 and helicopter access, and are within 30 minutes of a higher-level satellite health care facility. Emergency service is provided by 911 Telephone Service and volunteers. Auxiliary health care is provided by Central Emergency Services (262-4792/262-4453); Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna.

Economy and Transportation

The community caters to the sport fishing industry and summer influx of recreational enthusiasts. The economy of the Kenai area is diverse: oil and gas processing, timber, fishing, government, retail and tourism-related services provide employment. 16 residents hold commercial fishing permits. The Sterling Highway provides access to Anchorage. There are four private airstrips in the Sterling area, and a private seaplane base at Scout Lake. There are two privately-operated boat launches. Nearby Kenai and Soldotna offer airports and docking facilities.

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