Crowley’s Kotzebue dock to serve community for years
Every spring in the remote North- west Alaska community of Kotze- bue, the huge sheets of ice covering Kotzebue Sound begin to crack and break. Massive chunks of 4-foot- thick ice are carried by the powerful currents of the Kobuk and Noatak Rivers, scraping and grinding vio- lently along Kotzebue’s only fuel and cargo dock. Decades of brutal sea- sonal damage, as well as typical wear and tear, have taken their toll on the 50-year-old dock. In October, Crowley Fuels, the current owner of the infrastructure, completed an extensive renovation project, expanding the dock by 30 feet, adding safety features, and for- tifying it against the elements, with the expectation that the investment will serve the company and the com- munity for many years to come.
“The expanded, fortified dock will support the region’s need for fuel and cargo supplies for multiple generations,” said Crowley’s Carrie Godden, vice president, safety, facil- ities and compliance. “We congratu- late the women and men who made the design and construction of this valuable asset a reality. We also ap- preciate the community support and guidance as we completed the proj- ect, which serves the needs of fuel customers, other commercial carri- ers and the residents who count on its use for their food, materials and equipment.” Because there are no roads con- necting Kotzebue to the rest of the state, the dock infrastructure is a critical lifeline not only for the ap- proximately 3,300 people of Kotzebue but also the residents of the many
villages located around northwest Alaska. Each spring, once the ice has bro- ken up enough to allow safe passage, Crowley, one of Alaska’s largest fuel distributors, brings in the fuel the communities need to keep homes warm, businesses operating, and boats, planes and vehicles running throughout the coming year. The dock is also used by general cargo companies, which bring in necessary supplies ranging from food and ve- hicles to construction materials and equipment. “The dock is important infra- structure for Kotzebue and the en- tire region — all goods come through here,” said Siikauraq Whiting, a life- long Kotzebue resident. “In most ports in Alaska, docks like this are publicly owned,” Jed
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The Alaska Miner
April 2021
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