Larsen Bay

Larsen Bay is a second class city located on Larsen Bay, on the northwest coast of Kodiak Island. It is 60 miles southwest of the City of Kodiak and 283 miles southwest of Anchorage. It is located within the Kodiak Island Borough. Larsen Bay has a maritime climate, with cool summers and relatively warm winters. Average temperatures range from 32 to 62 degrees Farenheit. Average precipitation is 54 inches, with 75 inches of snow. Larsen Bay is on Seldovia tides, with a maximum tidal range of 14.9 feet.

There is a small boat harbor right outside of Larsen Bay as well as a new dock at the Kodiak Salmon Packers cannery in town.

There are limited stores, restaurants, or lodging facilities in Larsen Bay. Emergency and medical services are limited; there is a clinic with ETT, EMT I and II trained personnel. The community has a fire truck with a siren, but no ambulance. Please visit the Kodiak Urban Area of the GRIN to find the nearest resources and facilities.

People

Population: 90

The area is thought to have been inhabited for at least 2,000 years. Hundreds of artifacts have been uncovered in the area. Russian fur traders frequented the Island in the mid-1700s. The bay was named for Peter Larsen, an Unga Island furrier, hunter and guide. In the early 1800s, there was a tannery in Uyak Bay. The present-day Natives are Alutiiq (Russian-Aleuts). Alaska Packers Association built a cannery in the village in 1911.

Economy

The economy of Larsen Bay relies primarily on fishing and work at the cannery (Kodiak Salmon Packers). Approximately seventeen (17) residents hold commercial fishing permits. The majority of the population depends on subsistence activities. According to a 2000 U.S. Census, there were approximately 70 total housing units in the community, 30 of which were vacant. Larsen Bay was estimated to support 35 local jobs. The official unemployment rate for Larsen Bay at census time was estimated at  41.7%, with a median household income of  $40,833.

Transportation

Larsen Bay has no overland access roads; visitors must travel by air or water. Several local commercial air carriers service Larsen Bay with daily mail flights, and chartered flights are available as well. Air access to Larsen Bay is always weather dependent.

There is no regular commercial ferry service. The road system in Larsen Bay is limited to gravel roads and paths. There are some vehicles (less than 50 total), and approximately 40-60 ATVs.

Government

The Kodiak Area Native Association is currently developing an Emergency Operations Plan for the villages on Kodiak Island. Please call the KANA EMS Coordinator at (907)486-9402 for information on Emergency Resources and Capabilities in Larsen Bay.