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Aleutians East draft hazard plan says Unga Island dam rated poor has no known owner
The Aleutians East Borough posted its final draft hazard mitigation plan for public comment Thursday, and it reports that a seeping dam on Unga Island has no known owner.
"As of October 2026, the owner of this dam is unknown," the draft says of the Squaw Harbor Dam. Dam owners are responsible for operating and maintaining their dams and for emergency planning, the draft notes.
The state's dam safety engineer has preliminarily classified the dam as High Hazard Potential, the category for dams whose failure would probably result in loss of life. About half a mile downstream are an abandoned cannery, four small buildings and a gravel road, and a caretaker's dwelling also sits downstream, the draft says.
Based on observations by the state, the dam got a preliminary condition rating of Poor because of seepage. Under the rating system the plan describes, Poor means a safety deficiency has been found under conditions that could realistically occur and remedial action is necessary. The rating can also be used when uncertainties call for further investigation.
The borough, which owns no dams, proposes researching who owns this one and getting the owner in touch with the state for routine inspections. It also proposes working with dam owners on public awareness and supporting dam failure evacuation signs. Each action is rated medium priority, on a three- to four-year timeline.
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Sand Point is an Aleut fishing community on Popof Island in the Shumagin Islands, within the Aleutians East Borough. Commercial salmon fishing anchors its economy, and the community lies far from the nearest hospital.
Its salmon fishery, part of the area known as Area M, opens in sections such as Stepovak to purse seine and set gillnet boats, with the state setting the length of each opening. Managers also close waters in the Shumagin Islands when test fishing finds too many immature sockeye. The fishery draws statewide attention because it intercepts chum salmon bound for the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, which keeps its rules before the Board of Fisheries and in dispute.
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