Pump Station 12 was constructed nearby to move oil over Thompsen Pass to the pipeline terminal in Valdez. Economy Six individuals reported self-employment in the 1990 Census, all providing professional services. Roadhouses, the Ernestine State Highway Maintenance camp, and Alyeska Pipeline Pump Station 12 are the nearest employers. Subsistence activities supplement income. Facilities Households have individual water wells and septic systems and are fully plumbed.
Seasonal residents have water delivered by truck or haul water from a public tap.
Copper Basin Sanitation provides garbage collection, and hauls refuse to the Glennallen landfill. Transportation Tonsina is connected to the remainder of the state road system by the Richardson Highway. A State-owned airstrip is available at Upper Tonsina, and other airstrips are in the vicinity. Climate Tonsina lies in the continental climate zone. Temperature extremes range from -58 to 91.