Electrical Power for Valdez and the Copper River Basin-1981

passengers. But Chitina·s prominence was short-lived. By 1939 theprincipal mines ana the railroad were closed, and virtually all sourcesof support moved to Copper Center and emerging Glennallen.The present settlement of Copper Center developed from a trading postestablished in 1896. Hundreds of gold rushers passed through the area in1898--1899 on their way to the Klonaike fields; many stayed on to prospectin the Copper River Basin. A telegraph station was set up in CopperCenter by tne U.S. Army in 1901.More recent activities in tne basin include construction of the Glennand Richardson Highways, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Highwayconstruction intne late 1930·s and early 1940·s made the region moreaccessible to other more populated parts of the State. Settlement anaexpansion since then has paralleled the road. Tne Trans-Alaska Pipelinehad massive but predominately temporary impacts in the Copper RiverBasin. However, like Valdez this project tended to leave the area on ahigher plateau of population and economic activity.Iransportatio.!!:Glennallen: By most standards Glennallen is a very remote ruralcommunity, linked to other communities only by air and road. LikeValdez,Glennallen is not endowed with a rail connection. Althoughphysically more distant, Glennallen is only 187 highway miles fromAncnorage, considerably closer than Valdez.Otiler communities: In most cases the highway and small bush airstripsare tne only link to the outside for minor communities.Highway and Pipeline Maintenance:Tne malntenance of tne Glenn and Richardson Highways is a basicactivity in the region. In addition to the work force originating fromtne State Highway District Headquarters in Valdez, 65 persons areemployed in highway maintenance within the area. This is also a majorsource of employment for tne area's youtn as activity peaks in the summer.Pipeline maintenance is one of the few permanent occupations left intne aftermath of the construction boom. Forty people are engaged in themaintenance duties associated with mainline Refrigeration Sites 1, 2, and7, Pump Station 11, and several remote gate valve locations.Government Services:The Copper River Bdsin has a variety of government services whichcorrespond to the needs and population of the region. Government andmunicipal occupations inclUde fire fighting, law enforcement, educationand other social services, and natural resource management. There isalso a Federal Aviation Aaministration facility located at GulkanaAirport.16