Southwest
RSSSouthwest region news
Cities & Areas
Winter ferry bookings open on the system that's the only road many Alaska towns have
Winter ferry bookings are open on the Alaska Marine Highway — the federally funded "road" for the four-in-five Alaska towns with no highway — even as some communities say this winter's schedule is still too thin.

Seth Whiteman, 22, dead after going overboard near Egegik Bay
Seth Whiteman, 22, of Eagle River went overboard near Egegik Bay on June 29 and was not wearing a life jacket. His body was recovered from a nearby beach on July 11.

ADF&G opens youth-only fishing events across Southcentral, Southwest Alaska
ADF&G is reserving specific Southcentral and Southwest salmon waters for youth anglers this summer. • Kids 15 and under can fish without a license during these designated event windows. • Events run from June through August at locations like Ship Creek and Homer Spit.

State opens bids for Chenega Bay airport maintenance contract
Alaska is seeking a new maintenance contractor for Chenega Bay Rural Airport in Prince William Sound, with bids due July 16 and award expected by July 28.

Federal fishery disaster relief of $99M headed to Alaska after years of waiting
Alaska took four of every five dollars in the nation's fishery-disaster aid — and none of it has reached anyone yet, with 13 more disasters still in line.

Smokejumpers were called to a fire near a Kuskokwim homestead — then couldn't jump
A fire near a Kuskokwim homestead hit 50 acres, so Alaska scrambled its smokejumpers — who found the terrain too dangerous to jump. Back to plan B.

Strong escapement at one weir is driving long Alaska Peninsula openings
One weir at Orzinski counts salmon for the whole South Alaska Peninsula. It's running above average, and the openings have gotten long to match.

Board Restricts Fishing Gear to Protect Chinook in Chignik, Area M
The Alaska Board of Fisheries approved multiple gear restrictions to conserve Chinook salmon stocks in the Chignik Management Area and South Alaska Peninsula, including reduced seine net depth and area closures.

Nelson Island residents put out tundra fire before state crews could arrive
Nelson Island residents near Toksook Bay extinguished a lightning-caused tundra fire on June 24 before state crews could arrive, the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection reported.

Alaska Fishery Debates Reflect Broader Tensions Over Mixed-Stock Management
Alaska Peninsula fishery discussions mirror national struggles to balance commercial harvest with conservation in mixed-stock corridors where multiple salmon populations overlap.

Judge allows state to resume helicopter bear kills during lawsuit
Judge Adolf Zeman denied a request to stop Alaska's helicopter bear control program across 40,000 square miles of southwest Alaska, allowing the state to resume spring killings while a lawsuit challenging the program's legality continues in court.

Chignik King Salmon Meets Escapement Goal After Six-Year Drought
Chignik River king salmon reached the biological escapement goal in 2025 for the first time since 2019, raising questions about whether aggressive conservation measures should continue.

Mount Kupreanof shows signs of magma intrusion 50 miles from Sand Point
Mount Kupreanof volcano on the Alaska Peninsula has been raised to YELLOW alert status after showing signs of magmatic intrusion for the first time in over 10,000 years, with potential impacts to Sand Point 50 miles away.
NWS forecast calls for 1 to 2 more inches of rain in Southwest Alaska
A Bering Sea storm will drop 1 to 2 more inches of rain across Southwest Alaska through Tuesday, with sustained winds pushing water levels up to 1 foot above normal along the Bristol Bay coast.

Craig, Klawock Anglers Face New Ban on Filleting Fish at Sea
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has banned marine anglers from filleting or de-heading lingcod, nonpelagic rockfish, and king or coho salmon at sea when returning to Craig and Klawock ports, requiring fish to remain whole for creel sampling.