Old Bethel Airport

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This is the old airport for Bethel. You will find the new airport to the west and on the same side of the river as Bethel.

Construction of runway at this site began in 1941. In 1951, control of the site, plus another 300 acres along Napaskiak Slough, reverted to the USAF. From 1951 to 1953 the 30th Eng Bn (topo) used 32 acres as a campsite while mapping the area. In 1954 the 660th Eng Bn used 3 acres for the same purpose. Neither made any permanent improvements. The site was abandoned by the DoD in 1954. The FAA maintained the site from 1955 to 1959. The site has since been utilized by residents for their fish camps. In 1998, a contract was awarded to remove the drums of tar that had been eroding into the Kuskokwim River.