Neah Bay, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neah Bay is a town on the Makah Indian reservation, in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 794 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Neah Bay is located at (48.365436, -124.615672)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 794 people, 282 households, and 181 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 129.9/km² (335.8/mi²). There were 322 housing units at an average density of 52.7/km² (136.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 14.11% White, 0.13% African American, 78.21% Native American, 1.64% from other races, and 5.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.42% of the population.
There were 282 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 34.0% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 123.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $21,635, and the median income for a family was $24,583. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $27,917 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,338. About 26.3% of families and 29.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.6% of those under age 18 and 32.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
The local economy is sustained mostly by fishing and tourism. During the summer Neah Bay is a popular fishing area for sports fishermen. Any visitor to the Makah land must buy a recreational permit for US$10.[1] The permit is good for one year.
[edit] Fishing
Fishing for rock cod (such as black sea bass) and ling cod is good in spring and summer, while salmon fishing is good during summer runs. However - Neah Bay is mostly known for the best halibut fishing in the lower 48 states. The US halibut season generally lasts a handful of days in May and June, ending when a seasonal quota is attained. When the US halibut season is closed, some fishermen obtain Canadian fishing licenses and launch from Neah Bay, running approximately 10 miles to the portion of Swiftsure Bank that lies in Canadian waters.
Popular spots for halibut include "The Garbage Dump", located just inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Swiftsure Bank - a few miles out into the open ocean. Larger boats (including many of the commercial charter boats available) often travel 30 nautical miles or more into the open ocean, to such places as Blue Dot and 72-Square.
[edit] Tourism
Neah Bay's significant attraction is the Makah Museum, one of the country's finest tribal museums. It houses and interprets artifacts from a Makah village partly buried by a mudslide hundreds of years ago, providing a snapshot of pre-contact tribal life. The museum includes a replica long house, canoes, basketry and whaling and fishing gear.
[edit] Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard maintains a base just outside the Neah Bay Indian reservation. The base is maintained for search and rescue operations.
[edit] External links
- Neah Bay Halibut Fishing
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities. Features cultural exhibits, curriculum packets and a searchable archive of over 12,000 items that includes historical photographs, audio recordings, videos, maps, diaries, reports and other documents.
- Makah Cultural and Research Center Online Museum Exhibit History and culture of the Makah tribe.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
