Lake And Peninsula Borough, Alaska

Lake And Peninsula Borough History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of Borough Name

Lake and Peninsula Borough encompasses approximately 23,782 square miles of land (roughly the size of West Virginia) and 7,125 square miles of water, which is extending 400 miles from Lake Clark in the north to Ivanof Bay in the south. It contains three National Parks (Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, and Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve); two National Wildlife Refuges (Becharof National Wildlife Refuge and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge); and many designated Wild and Scenic Rivers and State Critical surroundings Areas

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History of Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska

Located in southwest of Anchorage along the Alaska Peninsula, the Lake and Peninsula Borough encompasses approximately 23,782 square miles of land (roughly the size of West Virginia) and 7,125 square miles of water, which is extending 400 miles from Lake Clark in the north to Ivanof Bay in the south. It contains three National Parks (Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, and Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve); two National Wildlife Refuges (Becharof National Wildlife Refuge and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge); and many designated Wild and Scenic Rivers and State Critical surroundings Areas. The Lake and Peninsula Borough is geographically and ecologically different. It is bordered on the west by Bristol Bay and on the east by the Pacific Ocean. The Bristol Bay coast is comprised of low lying wetlands and the rugged Pacific coast is dominated by various volcanoes of the Aleutian Range, which runs the length of the Borough from Lake Clark to Ivanof Bay. Iliamna Lake, located in the north, is the largest fresh water lake in Alaska and the second largest in the United States. Iliamna Lake is home to one of only two colonies of freshwater seals in the world. These lakes provide nurseries to the largest red salmon runs in the world.

The Lake and Peninsula Borough provides large amounts of high quality habitat that support a unique amount of flora and fauna. The Bristol Bay region is acknowledged as a world leader

The Caribou and salmon productivity of commercial fishing, sport fishing and hunting, bear viewing, recreation and tourism, and subsistence are important economic activities that rely on the bounty of the Borough's landscape. Salmon spawning streams attract some of the largest concentrations of brown bear in Alaska. Approximately 10,000 brown (grizzly) bears inhabit the region, making them more abundant than people. Plentiful moose and caribou dwell in the region. Other mammals include wolves, wolverines, river otters, red fox, and beaver. Sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals and migratory whales occupy the shoreline and offshore waters. Coastal estuaries are home to waterfowl while nesting eagles, peregrine falcons, and thousands of seabirds reside in the sea cliffs.
 

Neighboring Boroughs:

• Bethel Census Area, Alaska - north
• Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska - east
• Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska - southeast
• Aleutians East Borough, Alaska - west
• Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska - west
• Dillingham Census Area, Alaska - west

Cities and Towns:

Borough Resources:

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