Electrical Power for Valdez and the Copper River Basin-1981

The mountainous region of the study area contains some of the mostimportant Dall sheep range in tne State. Mountain goats are alsoabundant in the mountains of Prince William Sound, but are present in lownumoers in the Wrangell Mountains and the interior portion of the ChugachRange.Tne interior portion of tne study area supports several species oflarge mammals. Moose are relatively abundant throughout the interiorregion and concentrate in the river basins during the winter months.Brown/grizzly bears are present in the area and become most visible aboutstreambanks during the salmon runs. Other large mammals include theBarren ground caribou which utilize the interior portion of the studyarea as a winter range. Two distinct bison herds, the Cnitina and CopperRiver herds, have been established and appear to be sustaining healthypopulations.Wolves, wolverines, lynx, red fox, land otter, mink, marten,short-tailed weasel, beaver, muskrat, and snowshoe hare are presentthroughout the study area to varying degrees.ECONOMY AND POPULATIONTne physical differences between tne coastal portion of tne study area(Valdez) and interior portion (Glennallen-Copper Center) are stronglyreflected in tneir nistory, economy, and population.Valdez:Valdez ;s tne largest population center in the region. Tne city is ;na setting of natural beauty situated in mountainous terrain at the headof Port Valdez. It is the farthest north ice-free seaport ;n Alaska andserves as the southern terminus of both the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline andthe Ricnardson Highway.Hi story:Valdez was estaulished in 1890 as a debarkation point for men seekinga route to Interior Alaska and the Klondike gold fields. A post officewas established in the community in 1899, and Va1aez soon became a supplycenter for gold and copper mining in the immediate area. Until theAlaska Railroad was completed in 1923, Valdez was the only all-seasonport of entry to the interior. In the winter months freight andpassengers were hauled weekly to Fairoanks in horse-drawn sleds over the"Valdez Trai1." Construction of the Alaska Railroad from Seward toFairuanks and emergence of Anchorage as the largest city in Alaska,combined to eliminate the vital role of Valdez as a port of entry to theinterior.Old Valdez was destroyed by tne 1964 Alaska Earthquake and theresultant seismic wave. The new relocated townsite near Mineral Creekhas been growing rapidly, especially witn the Trans-Alaska PipelineTerminal located in Port Valdez. The construction of the Trans-AlaskaPipeline has had notable permanent effects on tne populations anaeconomies of Valdez and the Copper Valley basin.8