Lake Brooks Fisheries Research District: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Katmai National Park and Preserve

Region 11 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The Brooks Lake Fisheries Research District is located on the shores of Lake Brooks in Katmai National Park and Preserve, approximately 275 miles to the southwest of the city of Anchorage, Alaska and 33 miles to the southeast of the town of King Salmon, Alaska. The remote site near Brooks Camp, a tourist facility, and within the boundary of the Brooks River Archeological District National Historic Landmark is accessible only by air or water. The district encompasses seven historic buildings, one historic structure, the historic road trace from Lake Brooks to Brooks Falls, the outlet of Lake Brooks into Brooks River, and the section of Brooks River between Lake Brooks and Brooks Falls. The district represents the Fish and Wildlife Service’s development and use of the site from 1940 until 1972 for fisheries research on sockeye salmon. Research at the site was initiated in 1940 when a temporary fish-counting weir was constructed across the outlet of Lake Brooks and a tent camp was installed on its shores. Through 1955, the site served as headquarters for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s research on sockeye salmon in the lakes and rivers of Bristol Bay. In 1956, the research at the site began to focus only on the upper Naknek drainage including the majority of lakes and rivers of Katmai National Monument. Over the years the facility expanded with the construction of a field laboratory, several outbuildings, two residences, and a concrete fish ladder circumventing Brooks Falls. The character defining features of the landscape include the historic buildings, circulation patterns, and spatial organization. The district is historically significant under Criterion A for its association with the fisheries research that played a large role in the management of the sockeye salmon fishery of Bristol Bay. Service began their research at Lake Brooks, knowledge about the life cycle of sockeye salmon was limited. The Lake Brooks facility specifically represents the foundation of fisheries research in Alaska. The research conducted by the FWS created a baseline of knowledge related to the sockeye salmon runs in the Naknek drainage and contributed to a larger understanding of Pacific salmon in Bristol Bay. From 1950 to 2008, the sockeye salmon fishery was the most valuable fishery in the United States and Bristol Bay produced over 60% of its revenue (Schindler et al 2010: 609).

Lake Brooks Fisheries Research District: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Katmai National Park and Preserve

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