Elliot Kim
Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of Alaska, is ice-free from June to October. The sound was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1778 and named after Sir Fletcher Norton, the Speaker of the British House of Commons. While the region typically experiences ice-free conditions during the summer months, recent climate change has accelerated the collapse of biodiversity in the Arctic, impacting both human settlements and native species in the area. In March 2019, sea ice in Norton Sound was reduced to almost nothing due to a series of storms, raising concerns about coastal flooding. With the Arctic region warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, the Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (NBITWC) is working to address the critical infrastructure threats and subsistence resource challenges faced by Alaskan Native Villagers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Inlet of the Bering Sea, indenting the western coast of Alaska, U.S. |
| Size | 240 km (150 mi) long and 200 km (125 mi) wide |
| Water Sources | Yukon River, Kwik River, Kwiniuk River, Tubutulik River, Kvingak River, Kwintuk River |
| Surrounding Areas | Villages of Elim, Golovin, Stebbins, White Mountain, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, St. Michael, Unalakleet |
| Climate | Ice-free from June to October |
| Climate Change Impact | Eroding coastlines, degrading sea walls, melting sea ice, and melting permafrost |
| Conservation Efforts | Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (NBITWC) focuses on mitigating threats to subsistence resources and developing a marine protection area climate risk assessment |
| Historical Significance | Discovered by Captain James Cook in 1778 and named after Sir Fletcher Norton, the Speaker of the British House of Commons |
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What You'll Learn
The Norton Bay Nature Reserve
The Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea, is located on the western coast of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula. It is about 150 miles long and 125 miles wide. The Yukon River delta forms a portion of its south shore. The Norton Bay is a waterway classified bay located on the northeastern part of the Norton Sound. The mouths of several rivers, including the Kwik, Kwiniuk, and Tubutulik, debouch at Norton Bay.
Norton Bay and Norton Sound were discovered as one entity by Captain James Cook in 1778 and were named after Sir Fletcher Norton, the Speaker of the British House of Commons. The town of Nome is along the northern edge of Norton Sound. The villages of Elim, Golovin, Stebbins, White Mountain, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, St. Michael, and Unalakleet are on the shores or waterways flowing into Norton Sound. The Norton Bay Nature Reserve was established in 1917, covering an area of about 350,000 acres for use by the US Bureau of Education and the Natives of the Indigenous Alaskan race. The area extends over a length of 180 km to the southeast of Nome and covers the coastal area of Norton Bay.
The Norton Sound area has been home to Yup'ik and Iñupiat for many centuries and is the boundary between the two peoples. The Inupiat live to the north, and the Yup'ik live to the south. Climate change is a significant concern in the region, with human settlements and villages seeing their critical infrastructure threatened by storm surges, eroding coastlines, degrading sea walls, melting sea ice, and permafrost. The Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (NBITWC) was formed in 2012 to address these critical infrastructure threats and develop community projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change on subsistence resources.
Sea ice conditions in the Norton Sound area are variable, with ice-free conditions expected during the last week of May and lasting until October. However, the effects of climate change have led to abnormal reductions in sea ice. In March 2019, for example, there was almost no sea ice left in southern and eastern Norton Sound due to a series of storms in the Bering Strait region. The open water created concerns about coastal flooding and the impacts on species in the area, such as walruses, beluga whales, salmon, and caribou.
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The impact of climate change
The Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea, is ice-free from June to October. In March 2019, sea ice was reduced to almost nothing, with open water visible from the shores of Unalakleet, Shishmaref, and elsewhere along the west coast of Alaska. This abnormal sight was caused by 15 separate storms that buffeted the Bering Sea in the preceding five weeks, eroding sea ice and preventing new ice from forming.
The Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (NBITWC) was formed in 2012 to address these critical infrastructure and subsistence threats. NBITWC is developing a marine protection area climate risk assessment for the Norton Bay watershed to understand the impacts of climate change on species in the region. They are also working to empower Alaskan Native Villagers, who are highly dependent on many of the affected species for sustenance and cultural practices.
Climate change in the region has led to the death of species such as seals, ogruk, and walruses, which were traditionally used for their fur, skin, and meat. It has also disrupted the Iditarod sled dog race, with participants instructed to follow an overland trail to avoid crossing unstable sea ice. Furthermore, climate change has impacted archaeological sites in the region, such as the National Historic Landmark Iyatayet site, which contains remnants of Paleolithic and Mesolithic cultures.
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The Norton Sound area's history
The Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea, is located on the western coast of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula. It is about 240 km (150 mi) long and 200 km (125 mi) wide. The Yukon River delta forms a portion of the south shore, and the water from the Yukon influences this body. The Norton Sound area has been home to the Yup'ik and Iñupiat for many centuries, serving as a boundary between the two peoples; the Inupiat live to the north, and the Yup'ik to the south.
In September 1778, Captain James Cook explored the region and named the body of water after Sir Fletcher Norton, the Speaker of the British House of Commons at the time. The town of Nome lies along the northern edge of Norton Sound, with villages such as Elim, Golovin, Stebbins, White Mountain, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, St. Michael, and Unalakleet situated on the shores or waterways flowing into Norton Sound.
The Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) has played a significant role in expanding patient care in the region, offering basic services in 15 villages and specialty clinics in Nome. In 2008, the Board of Directors adopted the motto "Patient First", reflecting their commitment to patient-centric services. The following year, Indian Health Services awarded full funding to NSHC for constructing a new hospital in Nome, which was completed in 2012.
The Norton Sound typically experiences ice-free conditions from June to October, with some variations in ice coverage during May and early June. However, in recent years, the region has witnessed a notable reduction in sea ice extent, with open water observed in February and March, raising concerns about coastal flooding.
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The Norton Sound's geography
The Norton Sound is an inlet of the Bering Sea, indenting the west coast of Alaska, US, with a width of 70 miles (115 km) between the Seward Peninsula to its north and the Yukon River delta to its south. It is about 240 km (150 miles) long and 200 km (125 miles) wide. The inlet was explored and named after Sir Fletcher Norton, the Speaker of the British House of Commons, by Captain James Cook in September 1778. The Norton Sound area has been home to the indigenous Yup'ik and Iñupiat people for many centuries and marks the boundary between the two communities. The former lives in the southern area, while the latter resides in the northern region.
The city of Nome is situated on the northern shore of the inlet and acts as the commercial centre of northwestern Alaska. The villages of Elim, Golovin, Stebbins, White Mountain, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, St. Michael, and Unalakleet are also on the shores or waterways flowing into Norton Sound. The region has a population of about 9,500 residents, with a third of the population living in Nome.
The Yukon River delta forms a portion of the south shore, and water from the Yukon influences this body of water. Norton Sound is ice-free from June to October, with ice coverage varying in the months prior. The Eliot Staples Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic occurs in the inlet in mid-March.
Norton Sound and Port Clarence residents have relied on fish for cultural and nutritional sustenance for thousands of years. Fishing occurs in both marine and fresh waters, with Pacific salmon comprising about two-thirds of the total fish harvest in the area. Other species include dolly Varden, whitefishes, herring, king crab, saffron cod, and northern pike.
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The Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
The Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea in Alaska, is ice-free from June to October. However, the latest ice coverage data from May 2023 suggests that ice-free conditions may have started earlier this year.
The NBITWC monitors and researches water quality and quantity in the Norton Bay watershed, as well as the impacts of climate change on the region's water resources. They develop and implement watershed restoration projects and collaborate with local tribal communities to create effective water resource management strategies. The council also provides education and outreach to increase awareness about the importance of protecting water resources and advocates for the protection of the Norton Bay watershed at the local, state, and federal levels.
The Norton Bay Watershed Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Instream Flow, and Policy Project are some of the projects that the council is involved in. They also work on defending tribal sovereignty in the Seward Peninsula and addressing the threat to federal subsistence priorities.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Norton Sound Bay freezes. It is an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of Alaska, and it is ice-free from June to October, freezing over in the winter months.
The bay is used for subsistence fishing, with species such as tomcod, herring, and walrus found in its waters. It is also a site for the extraction of placer gold.
Norton Sound Bay was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1778 and named after Sir Fletcher Norton, who was the Speaker of the British House of Commons at the time. The bay was also explored by Captain Mikhail Dmitrievich Tebenkov in 1845–50, during his time as Governor of Russian America.
