History of the small town on the Kuskokwim River. Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 60° 47' N Latitude, 161° 45' W Longitude (Sec. 09, T008N, R071W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area encompasses 44 sq. miles of land and 6 sq. miles of water. There were 41 people in Bethel during the 1880 U.S. Census. At that time, it was an Alaska Commercial Company Trading Post. The Moravian Church established a mission in the area in 1884. The community was moved to its present location due to erosion at the prior site. A post office was opened in 1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading, transportation and distribution center for the region, which attracted Natives from surrounding villages. Over time, federal and state agencies established regional offices in Bethel. Bethel Climate: Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area, with snowfall of 50 inches. Summer temperatures range from 62 to 42; winter temperatures average 19 to -2. Bethel Alaska Culture: A federally recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Orutsararmuit Native Council. 68% of the population are Alaska Native or part Native. The region is fortunate in that rapid development did not occur before the importance of protecting the Native culture was realized. The traditional Yup'ik Eskimo practices and language remain predominant in the area. Subsistence activities and commercial fishing are major contributors to residents' livelihoods. The sale of alcohol is banned in the community, although importation or possession is allowed. Bethel Alaska Facilities: Some residents are connected to the central piped water and sewer system. Approximately 75% of households have water delivered and sewage hauled by truck. Several facilities in Bethel have individual wells and septic tanks. For health reasons the City ruled that residents can no longer use honey buckets. Extensions of the piped systems to the City Subdivision and Old Town are under construction. Water Treatment Plant improvements have been completed in Bethel Heights. Additional funding has been requested to connect 105 homes to the piped system. Electricity is provided by Bethel Utilities Corporation. There are 6 schools located in the community, attended by 1,320 students. Local hospitals or health clinics include Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital (YKHC/PHS 543-6300); Bethel Family Clinic (543-3773). The hospital is a qualified Acute Care facility, and the clinic is a qualified Emergency Care Center. Specialized Care: YKHC Phillips Alcohol Program (City-operated health care, lodging, rehabilitation); YKHC Outpatient Services (Calista-operated health care, information); Bethel Community Services' Malon Auxiliary health care is provided by Bethel Fire Dept. & Ambulance Service (543-2131); Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. Ambulance & Aeromed Int'l. Medevac (677-7501/888-283-7220). Bethel Alaska Economy: Bethel serves as the regional center for 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Food, fuel, transportation, medical care and other services for these villages are provided by businesses in Bethel. 50% of the jobs in Bethel are in government positions. Commercial fishing is an important source of income; 200 residents hold commercial fishing permits, primarily for salmon and herring roe net fisheries. Subsistence activities contribute substantially to villager's diets, particularly salmon, freshwater fish, game birds and berries. Poor fish returns since 1997 have significantly affected the community. Bethel Alaska Transportation: The State-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by two major passenger airlines, two cargo carriers, and numerous air taxi services. The airport ranks third in the state for total number of flights. It offers a 6,398' asphalt runway and 1,850' gravel crosswind runway, and is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation and expansion. Two float plane bases are nearby, Hangar Lake and H Marker Lake. The Port of Bethel is the northern-most medium-draft port in the U.S. River travel is the primary means of local transportation in the summer, and it becomes a 150-mile ice road to surrounding villages in the winter. A barge service based in Bethel provides goods to the Kuskokwim villages. There are 16 miles of local roads. Winter trails are marked to Napakiak (1.1 mi.) and Akiachak (19 mi.)

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