Nelson Lagoon (Unangax̂: Niilsanam Alĝuudaa) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 41, down from 52 in 2010 and 83 in 2000.
Nelson Lagoon was established around 1960 and is the youngest of the Borough communities. It is the only Aleut settlement on the Bering Sea shore. The community is on the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula and sits on a narrow sand spit that separates the lagoon from the Bering Sea. Nelson Lagoon is in the middle of a rich and productive salmon fisheries area. The community's dock, boat ramp, harbormaster's office and warehouse were completed in the late 1990s. Nelson Lagoon has docking facilities as well as boat and gear storage. A state-owned 4,000-foot-long lighted gravel runway allows regularly scheduled flights.
In March 2016, Nelson Lagoon was coated with tephra, during a strong eruption of nearby Mount Pavlof.
History
The location where Nelson Lagoon sits was used as an Aleut summer campsite during the fishing season. In 1882, the lagoon was named for Edward William Nelson, a naturalist and explorer who travelled the region between 1877 and 1920.
A permanent settlement was established in 1960. A school was built five years later, and the settlement grew into a larger permanent community. located on a narrow sand spit separating the lagoon from the Bering Sea on the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (31.22%) is water.
Environment
Climate
Nelson Lagoon has a maritime climate. Weather is dramatic and irregular, with constant wind.
Nelson Lagoon first reported on the 1970 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 52 people, 22 households, and 14 families residing in the CDP. The population density was .. There were 32 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 21.2% White, 75% Native American, 1.9% Asian, and 1.9% from two or more races.
There were 22 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 0% from 18 to 24, 46.1% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 108 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $43,750, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $59,583 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,596. There were no families and 6.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
2000 census
As of the census and as of 2015 there are no school-age children remaining in the village.
Circa 1978 the school, then a part of the Aleutian Region School District, had two teachers and 18 students.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Nelson Lagoon is only accessible by boat or plane. The Nelson Lagoon Airport has a 4,000-foot long gravel runway serving regular flights.
There is also a dock, boat ramp and harbormaster's office.