Kuluk Bay

Kuluk Bay, Adak, Alaska

Kuluk Bay also known as Khulukh Bay is a small bay located at 51°52′30″N 176°33′47″W on the northeastern side of Adak Island, one of the larger Andreanof Islands of the Aleutian Islands. The bay is significant for its fauna, its relationship with the rest of the island, role in the Second World War, and various examples of contemporary military and administrative action regarding the bay. Kuluk Bay borders the most developed portion of Adak Island; on its western coast lie the industrial and residential areas of the settlement of Adak. Kuluk Bay is also important for recreation on Adak Island, since beachcombing and other beach activities are common on its sandy shores.

Fishing, for a variety of species, is another common activity in Kuluk Bay. During August and September, pink salmon runs occur in streams flowing into the bay. The bay also contains extensive mussel beds along the coast at low tide, although these do not appear to have been tremendously exploited as a food source.

Tests of blue mussels from Kuluk Bay have found a significant amount of arsenic contamination, and rock soles in the bay have been found to contain hazardous amounts of PCBs (particularly Aroclor 1254). Subsistence fishermen and others have therefore been advised to restrict their consumption of them.

Ecology

Emperor goose migration

Emperor goose

Perhaps most environmentally significant is Kuluk Bay's role in emperor goose migration. Emperor geese inhabit many of the Aleutian Islands and congregate in numbers as large as 1,000 at Kuluk Bay during the winter. This congregation is especially interesting because emperor geese are typically grouped sparsely and in small numbers during the winter; large gatherings are uncommon. During the winter, Kuluk bay is an important migratory area and serves as a wintering habitat for as much as 1% of the entire emperor goose population.

Sea otter population

Between 1993 and 1997, a study took place which compared the populations of sea otters at Clam lagoon, Adak island, and Kuluk bay. Clam lagoon is noted as being a closed aquatic environment, inaccessible to killer whales, while Kuluk bay is noted as an open environment. During the six-year interval, it was observed that while Clam Lagoon sea otter population remained relatively stable, population in Kuluk bay decreased by a dramatic 76%. When taking into account the caloric needs of a killer whale, the study concluded that merely 5.05 attacks would have been required at minimum in order to lower the sea otter population to the documented extent. 6 attacks where observed.

History

The history of Kuluk bay extends as far back as Russian imperial expansion into Alaska; the name of the bay comes from a 1936 transliteration of the Aleut name for the bay, first recorded by Captain Tebenkov of the Russian Imperial Navy in 1852.

USS San Francisco (CA-38) in Kuluk Bay, Adak Island, April 1943

USS Mississippi BB-41 Adak May 1943

Among other locations on Adak island, Kuluk bay has a relatively substantial history in pacific front action by the United States during WWII. One such example is the WWII airfield along Kuluk bay whereupon, in 1942, fighter planes often landed to protect against the possibility of a Japanese offensive. Various locations on Adak island, including Kuluk bay, were fortified during the second word war. At Kuluk bay There existed a Gun Battery and other large gun emplacements, which used 155mm shells and had a range of 17 miles. These emplacements not only served to protect the bay, but also Adak Harbor to the South.

During 1942, many US military missions also took place at Adak island, at least three of which took place at Kuluk Bay. On August 30, an American Army operation took place in order to build Adak airfield which ran along Kuluk bay; On September 2, an 11th Air Force escorted reconnaissance mission took place over Kuluk bay; finally, On September 3, after bombing Kiska Island, the group of 11th Air Force Bombers and Fighters flew to provide air cover over the bay, however 7 aircraft aborted due to inclement weather conditions.

Contemporary military and administrative activity

Code of federal regulations part 334

There exist two sections regarding Kuluk Bay within The Code of Federal Regulations Title 33-Navigation and Navigable Waters, part 334. Section 334.1320 discusses a specifically defined northwestern section of the bay established as a naval restricted area as of April 29, 1993. According to the subsequent section, Section 334.1325, there also exists a US army restricted area within a radius of 1000 yards about the Sea Base radar mooring site within the bay, as of November 23, 2007.

Earlier that year in July of 2007, a Federal Register Proposal for the restricted area was made by the US Army Corps of engineers in order to better secure vessels transiting the area. As a part of procedural requirements, the proposed restricted area was reviewed under the Regulatory Flexibility act which requires regulatory flexibility analysis to determine if the proposal would have significant economic implications for many small entities including local governments and businesses. It was determined that there would exist no such significant economic impact.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination

From 1999 through 2011, the United States Navy has sampled Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) levels in both Kuluk bay, and sweeper cove within Kuluk bay. The sampling references a type of fish, rock sole, and a type of shellfish, blue mussel, in order to measure the reflected environmental levels of PCBs within the area.

Blue mussel clump

The sampling of PCBs levels took place as a part of the Superfund law (CERCLA). Rock sole and blue mussel were chosen because they are common and readily available sources of seafood on Adak island. After testing, both rock sole and blue mussel were found to contain relatively high amounts of PCBs. As a result, an advisory to limit consumption of either species from Sweeper Cove or Kuluk bay went into effect. After initially monitoring PCBs levels for 5 years, in 2003 a decision was made by the United States Navy to monitor PCBs levels every other year until 2009; this date was extended to 2011 and then again to 2013 after further samples were collected and examined. As of February 2012, following cleanup of potential contaminants, facillitated by the US Navy, PCBs levels were expected to decrease slowly with time.

Throughout the documented course of study, average PCBs levels were shown to decrease gradually from their initial high in 1999; however as of 2012 had not decreased below the benchmark maximum concentration of 6.5 ppb (parts per billion) of PCBs. The study also noted that PCBs levels were highest in Kuluk bay’s sweeper cove, near which contaminants existed with relative proximity.

Other recent activity

Sea-based X band radar

Sbx

The Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX 1), a missile defense radar system, was being constructed around 2003 and it was planned to be located in Kuluk bay. In preparation for the SBX, roughly 26 million dollars in underwater rigging was prepared for the SBX in the summer of 2007 in Kuluk bay. The rigging consisted of steel chains connected between eight 75-ton anchors fixed beneath the bay. Despite its supposed positive economic implications for Adak, as of 2010, the SBX was not located anywhere on Adak island nor did there exist plans to relocate it the Kuluk bay.

Activity as of 2019

As of September 2019, The US Navy was considering resuming operations and exercises in Kuluk bay. Recent operations in Kuluk bay are apart of a resurgence in Military activity in the Aleutian Islands for the first time in more than 30 years. These new military exercises are designed to test artic and cold-climate capabilities of the US Navy. Adak island once was the site of an active military base with roughly 6,000 service members and families, now with a trend of rising sea levels and average temperature, the arctic is becoming more easily navigable, and Kuluk bay is again being considered for naval and other military activity.