Umiat, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Umiat is an unincorporated community
in North Slope Borough
, Alaska
, United States
, on the Colville River
. It is located 140 miles southwest of Deadhorse
in the Arctic Circle
. The town is not accessible by road or rail. In 1944, the Naval Oil Reserve was set up and it later became an air force base, which is now closed. It is known as one of the coldest places in the US.
In 2009 Governor Parnell
budgeted for a proposed road to Umiat branching off of the Dalton Highway
.
Umiat has since become a center in the summer for research by the BLM and USGS, vital to the study of Global Climate change. Research also goes on in the impact that development has on the Arctic tundra. As the NPRA is managed by BLM, they watch very closely to the impact that the ice roads and ice-drilling pads have on the various plant life in the area.
Umiat has no permanent residents and is in actuality a camp and fuel stop for aircraft operating in the area. The camp is run by a locally owned company that provides oilfield services in many different spots. Their crew consists in the summer of approximately 10 people who work on a two weeks on two weeks off schedule. At any given time, there are between 20 to 30 people lodged and fed there and have had as many as five helicopter working there. These aircraft and the people that work there begin showing up in the Middle of May and continue until the middle of September. All there have access to internet and all news and entertainment by satellite.
Accommodations are "ATCO" units that are permanently placed and the cafeteria style kitchen is also in one of these units. Although Umiat is only accessible by air or by river, it plays an important role in today's world by being a base for research.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in North Slope Borough
North Slope Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge ** Cape Lisburne** Cape Thompson* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ** Mollie Beattie Wilderness * Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the Colville River
Colville River (Alaska)
The Colville River is a major river of the Arctic Ocean coast of Alaska in the United States, approximately 350 mi long. One of the northernmost major rivers in the North America, it drains a remote area of tundra on the north side of the Brooks Range entirely above the Arctic Circle...
. It is located 140 miles southwest of Deadhorse
Deadhorse, Alaska
Deadhorse is an unincorporated community in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States, along the North Slope near the Arctic Ocean. The town consists mainly of facilities for the workers and companies that operate at the nearby Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Deadhorse is accessible via the Dalton Highway...
in the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. The town is not accessible by road or rail. In 1944, the Naval Oil Reserve was set up and it later became an air force base, which is now closed. It is known as one of the coldest places in the US.
In 2009 Governor Parnell
Sean Parnell
Sean R. Parnell is an American Republican politician who is the tenth and current Governor of Alaska. He succeeded Sarah Palin following her resignation, and was sworn in at the Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks on July 26, 2009...
budgeted for a proposed road to Umiat branching off of the Dalton Highway
Dalton Highway
The James W. Dalton Highway, usually Dalton Highway is a 414-mile road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields...
.
Umiat has since become a center in the summer for research by the BLM and USGS, vital to the study of Global Climate change. Research also goes on in the impact that development has on the Arctic tundra. As the NPRA is managed by BLM, they watch very closely to the impact that the ice roads and ice-drilling pads have on the various plant life in the area.
Umiat has no permanent residents and is in actuality a camp and fuel stop for aircraft operating in the area. The camp is run by a locally owned company that provides oilfield services in many different spots. Their crew consists in the summer of approximately 10 people who work on a two weeks on two weeks off schedule. At any given time, there are between 20 to 30 people lodged and fed there and have had as many as five helicopter working there. These aircraft and the people that work there begin showing up in the Middle of May and continue until the middle of September. All there have access to internet and all news and entertainment by satellite.
Accommodations are "ATCO" units that are permanently placed and the cafeteria style kitchen is also in one of these units. Although Umiat is only accessible by air or by river, it plays an important role in today's world by being a base for research.