Dago Creek
Encyclopedia
Dago Creek is an estuary of and small feeder stream to Ugashik Bay
, located on the western flats of the central Alaska Peninsula
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
, at 57°36′40"N 157°36′15"W.
The name derives from the numerous Sicilian
fishermen
who would anchor in the protected waters during closed fishing periods and collectively celebrate their heritage with plenty of food and wine. At first used in a pejorative way, the Sicilians embraced the terminology and the name stuck, becoming official when the area was first definitively mapped in 1943. The area is still used as a small boat harbor for the nearby village of Pilot Point
, especially with the completion of a bulkhead-style dock and boat launch in 1990.
Although a few fish swim up, and reportedly spawn in, its waters, the stream is primarily a drain for the multitude of small lake
s, marshland and tundra
of the coastal zone north of Ugashik Bay. The creek generally flows from north to south, beginning with the drainage from Dago Lake, a large but shallow freshwater lake located approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of the creek's mouth. It then begins a slow and meandering path towards the sea, with several oxbow lakes and false channels along the way. Though relatively narrow, the entire length of the stream has been navigated by vessels from the Bristol Bay
fishing fleet.
The creek also serves to break the contiguous land mass of the north/east shore of Ugashik Bay, separating the village of Pilot Point from the neighboring community of Smoky Point
. It also serves as a point of subsistence salmon fishing, although its waters are officially closed to commercial fishing activity. Local Alaska Natives
also catch abundant supplies of small, oily, herring-like fish called smelt which helps supplement the local diet.
Ugashik Bay
Ugashik Bay is a bay of the Bering Sea in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is an elongated, comma-shaped estuary formed where the Ugashik River empties into Bristol Bay, on the western coast of the Alaska Peninsula....
, located on the western flats of the central Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, at 57°36′40"N 157°36′15"W.
The name derives from the numerous Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
fishermen
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
who would anchor in the protected waters during closed fishing periods and collectively celebrate their heritage with plenty of food and wine. At first used in a pejorative way, the Sicilians embraced the terminology and the name stuck, becoming official when the area was first definitively mapped in 1943. The area is still used as a small boat harbor for the nearby village of Pilot Point
Pilot Point, Alaska
Pilot Point is a city in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States, on the Alaska Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 100.-Geography:Pilot Point is located at...
, especially with the completion of a bulkhead-style dock and boat launch in 1990.
Although a few fish swim up, and reportedly spawn in, its waters, the stream is primarily a drain for the multitude of small lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, marshland and tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
of the coastal zone north of Ugashik Bay. The creek generally flows from north to south, beginning with the drainage from Dago Lake, a large but shallow freshwater lake located approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of the creek's mouth. It then begins a slow and meandering path towards the sea, with several oxbow lakes and false channels along the way. Though relatively narrow, the entire length of the stream has been navigated by vessels from the Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
fishing fleet.
The creek also serves to break the contiguous land mass of the north/east shore of Ugashik Bay, separating the village of Pilot Point from the neighboring community of Smoky Point
Smoky Point
Smoky Point is a point of land in the U.S. state of Alaska, located at , where Ugashik Bay joins the much larger Bristol Bay. The most easily distinguishable landmark is the United States Coast Guard lighthouse which is visible to mariners on the eastern shore of Bristol Bay and all of Ugashik...
. It also serves as a point of subsistence salmon fishing, although its waters are officially closed to commercial fishing activity. Local Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
also catch abundant supplies of small, oily, herring-like fish called smelt which helps supplement the local diet.