Alitak Cannery Dam #1

About Alitak Cannery Dam #1

The primary purpose of Alitak Cannery Dam #1 is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Inc. (private).

The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 332 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 62 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 32 square miles. Completed in 1917, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/20/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Alaska dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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