Eldred Rock
Eldred Rock (also known as Nechraje[1]) is an island in the boroughs of Juneau and Haines, Alaska, United States.[2] Located in Lynn Canal, it is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) southeast of Kataguni Island and 55 miles (89 km) northwest of the city of Juneau. This island is the site of the Eldred Rock Light, a lighthouse built in 1905 and staffed until the United States Coast Guard automated its operation in 1973.
 Eldred Rock and the lighthouse | |
  Eldred Rock | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Haines Borough, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 58°58′18″N 135°13′15″W |
| Archipelago | Alexander Archipelago |
| Adjacent to | Lynn Canal |
| Highest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Juneau City and Borough |
| Borough | Haines Borough |
The Eldred Rock Coast Guard Heliport is also located on the island.[3]
Wrecks and incidents
Eldred Rock has been the location of multiple maritime incidents. One of the earliest involved the Hassler, the Coast Guard's first iron-hulled steamship. After being decommissioned, the vessel was sold to the McGuire Brothers for $15,700 and renamed the Clara Nevada. She sailed from Seattle, Washington, on January 26, 1898, with a crew of 40 men bound for Skagway, Alaska and 165 passengers heading for the Klondike gold fields. Late on February 5, 1898, the Clara Nevada left Skagway with between 25 and 40 passengers aboard. During the night she struck an uncharted rock several hundred yards north of Eldred Rock and sank immediately. There were no survivors.[4]
A tour boat struck the island on June 24, 2002, but later made its way safely to Haines.[5]
Climate
Eldred Rock has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
| Climate data for Eldred Rock, Alaska (1940-1968 normals and extremes) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
51 (11) |
53 (12) |
64 (18) |
74 (23) |
82 (28) |
85 (29) |
86 (30) |
79 (26) |
60 (16) |
52 (11) |
68 (20) |
86 (30) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 28.6 (−1.9) |
33.7 (0.9) |
36.2 (2.3) |
44.1 (6.7) |
51.8 (11.0) |
59.6 (15.3) |
62.5 (16.9) |
60.7 (15.9) |
54.6 (12.6) |
46.1 (7.8) |
38.0 (3.3) |
32.6 (0.3) |
45.7 (7.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.6 (−4.1) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
32.1 (0.1) |
39.6 (4.2) |
46.6 (8.1) |
54.1 (12.3) |
57.2 (14.0) |
55.7 (13.2) |
49.9 (9.9) |
41.9 (5.5) |
34.0 (1.1) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
41.2 (5.1) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 20.6 (−6.3) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
41.4 (5.2) |
48.5 (9.2) |
51.8 (11.0) |
50.7 (10.4) |
45.3 (7.4) |
37.6 (3.1) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
36.6 (2.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) |
−3 (−19) |
−5 (−21) |
10 (−12) |
30 (−1) |
33 (1) |
28 (−2) |
38 (3) |
23 (−5) |
16 (−9) |
1 (−17) |
−20 (−29) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.97 (75) |
4.41 (112) |
2.66 (68) |
2.01 (51) |
2.52 (64) |
1.96 (50) |
2.49 (63) |
3.90 (99) |
6.23 (158) |
7.72 (196) |
5.27 (134) |
4.30 (109) |
46.44 (1,180) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 16.5 (42) |
14.1 (36) |
15.4 (39) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
7.7 (20) |
15.2 (39) |
71.1 (181) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 171 |
| Source: WRCC[6] | |||||||||||||
References
- Orth, Donald J. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, December 31, 1967.
- USGS GNIS Feature Detail Report: Eldred Rock
- USGS GNIS Feature Detail Report: Eldred Rock Coast Guard Heliport
- "2007 Hassler Expedition - Hassler/Clara Nevada's last days". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- Gagne-Hawes, Genevieve (25 June 2002). "Tour boat strikes rock near Haines". Juneau Empire. Morris Communications. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- "ELDRED ROCK, ALASKA (502770)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved August 20, 2022.