Ship Creek drains an area in the Chugach Mountains, flows westward through Anchorage, and empties into Knik Arm. It emerges from the mountains 10 miles east of Anchorage and above that point has a drainage area of 90 square miles. Stream flow records for the 4 year period, 1947 through 1950, show a mean flow of 156 second-feet with a variation from 114 second-feet for 1950 to 198 second-feet for 1949. The monthly distribution of flow has considerable variation with about one-fifth of the runoff in the 6 month period December to May, and about one-half the runoff in the 3 month period, June, July, and August. Storage is therefore required for regulation and most effective use of the streamflow. There is no natural storage in the basin. Storage possibilities and power developments are not favorable. Two possible sites are considered in this report, one at mile 1.0 and one at mile 3.5. Development at the former site would produce 3200 and 2300 KW for 50 percent and 90 percent of the time while development at the latter would produce 5000 and 4400 KW for 50 percent and 90 percent of the time.
Ship Creek is not a glacier fed stream and thus is free from glacial silt and offers a good source of municipal and industrial water supply. The natural flow is sufficient to supply present demands and it is believed that with the development of storage demands created by any foreseeable expansion of Anchorage and the surrounding area can readily be met.
