Nelson Lagoon, Alaska
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska
Niilsanam Alĝuudaa | |
|---|---|
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska Location in Alaska | |
| Coordinates: 56°0′2″N 161°12′13″W / 56.00056°N 161.20361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Aleutians East |
| Government | |
| • Borough mayor | Alvin D. Osterback |
| • State senator | Lyman Hoffman (D) |
| • State rep. | Bryce Edgmon (I) |
| Area | |
• Total | 246.98 sq mi (639.67 km2) |
| • Land | 188.10 sq mi (487.18 km2) |
| • Water | 58.88 sq mi (152.49 km2) |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 41 |
| • Density | 0.21/sq mi (0.08/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code | 99571 |
| Area code | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-52940 |
Nelson Lagoon (Unangax̂: Niilsanam Alĝuudaa) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 41, down from 52 in 2010 and 83 in 2000.
Nelson Lagoon was established around 1960 and is the youngest of the Borough communities. It is the only Aleut settlement on the Bering Sea shore. The community is on the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula and sits on a narrow sand spit that separates the lagoon from the Bering Sea. Nelson Lagoon is in the middle of a rich and productive salmon fisheries area. The community's dock, boat ramp, harbormaster's office and warehouse were completed in the late 1990s. Nelson Lagoon has docking facilities as well as boat and gear storage. A state-owned 4,000-foot-long lighted gravel runway allows regularly scheduled flights.
In March 2016, Nelson Lagoon was coated with tephra, during a strong eruption of nearby Mount Pavlof.