Akutan • Atka • False Pass • Nelson Lagoon • Nikolski • St. George • Unalaska

Nelson Lagoon

Nelson Lagoon, also referred to as “The Lagoon”, is located on the north side of the Alaska Peninsula, on a narrow sand spit. It is 580 miles southwest of Anchorage and 70 miles north of Cold Bay. The community has a clinic, a Community Center, ship supply store, a school, a restaurant and two hotels.

Nelson Lagoon residents are entirely dependent upon the commercial salmon industry for their livelihood (the area around Nelson Lagoon is closed to halibut fishing). Residents fish gillnet or operate set net sites in the lagoon and up the river. They sell their fish to Peter Pan Seafoods, which operates a facility in Port Moller. The Peter Pan facility usually closes in early September, which leaves no market for the continuing late run of silvers into Nelson Lagoon and the surrounding area.

APICDA provided matching funds for construction of a dock in 1995. Coincident with construction of the dock, APICDA purchased six acres of land surrounding the dock site and prepped it for construction. APICDA and the Nelson Lagoon Village Council formed the Nelson Lagoon Storage Company in 1999. The company is equally owned, and managed by a three member board of directors (two of whom are from the Lagoon). The building was constructed with 100% local labor. The company provides gear and vessel storage for local residents and transients. The company generally operates at a small loss, but the community impact in terms of jobs and services far outweighs the loss.

APICDA plans to construct a small shoreside processing facility in Nelson Lagoon in 2008. The plant will be located on the land owned by APICDA, adjacent to the dock. The plant will process salmon harvested by local residents, and will continue operations into the fall so that local residents can take advantage of the late run of silver salmon.

APICDA's Infrastructure Investments
-Construction of a dock facility ($800,000 in matching funds)
-Prepping four acres of APICDA-owned land adjacent to the new dock facility

APICDA's Business Development & Investments
-Formation of the Nelson Lagoon Storage Company, L.L.C. (a vessel, gear, and pot storage operation in Nelson Lagoon) in partnership with the local tribal council

APICDA's Proposed 2006-2008 Projects
-Mark the Nelson Lagoon Ship Channel with Private Aids to Navigation
-Construct a shoreside processing facility
-Develop Nelson Lagoon Store and Ship Supply

Local Offices, Services & Businesses
To have your Nelson Lagoon business information listed, please email your request to webmaster@apicda.com