Delta Junction, Alaska
Population: 897
Located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Borough
From 2002 to present (2005), Delta Junction experienced an economic boom similar to the pipeline days as Fort Greely became fully operational again and the missile test bed was constructed. National firms such as Boeing, Bechtel, and Brown and Root, as well as regional firms including Chugach opened up offices on the installation, under contract to the government. Construction of the Pogo Gold Mine just north of Delta Junction, near the Goodpaster River, also contributed significantly to the economic fortune of the town. Mineral deposits near Tangle Lakes, south of Delta Junction, will likely result in additional development of mining in the area. Economy A railroad spur from Fairbanks to Delta Junction has been proposed to transport material to the missile defense site. This should spur other types of industry in Delta Junction, as the railroad could transport agricultural products out of the area as well as promote tourist travel into the area by rail. Many people in Delta Junction supplement their food supply by hunting the moose, caribou, Dall sheep and bison in the area, as well as fishing. A few operate small gold mines or hunt or trap fur-bearing animals for extra income. Delta Junction, like most Alaska communities, has a small airstrip where charter flights are available for sightseeing, hunting and fishing. Due to limited shopping availability, many residents travel to Fairbanks via the Richardson Highway to purchase goods and services. Though Delta has a clinic, primary medical care is also in Fairbanks. Education Directly in the center of the City of Delta Junction, the Delta School houses a Pre-school through 12th grade educational program. Also offering educational opportunities to our students, locally and statewide, is the Delta Charter Cyber School, physically located in a facility directly behind the Delta School. The School District has been through several phases of construction, growth and, unfortunately, closures. Although there is a school facility located on FT Greely, five miles to the south of Delta, the District was forced to close this school in May 2000 because of declining enrollment. At this time, the Delta School is filled to capacity with the remaining student population in the area. "Big Delta" lies at the intersection of the Delta River and the Tanana River. The City of Delta Junction sits on the Delta River at the intersection of the Richardson Highway and the famed Alaska Highway (actually, the end of the Alaska Highway). The city and Delta community lie within the fertile Tanana River valley. Three mountain ranges -- the White Mountains to the north, the Granite Mountains to the southeast, and the Alaska Range to the southwest -- and the Delta River to the west surround the town. Once overlain by glaciers, the geology is marked by glacial moraines as well as alluvial deposits from the Delta and Tanana Rivers. Numerous mineral deposits are found in the vicinity of Delta Junction ranging from gold to molybdenum to coal. A prominent natural feature on the landscape is Donnelly Dome, located within the Donnelly Training Area of Fort Wainwright (formerly a part of nearby Fort Greely until 2001), to the south of Delta Junction. This dome was formed as a glacier coming from the Alaska Range split in two, carving away sides of a former mountain. Source: ci.delta-junction.ak.us & wikipedia.org
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