Highlights of summer projects in Skagway

What the Taiya Inlet Watershed Council is doing to foster community stewardship and improve local fish habitat

Pullen Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project:

In accordance with its mission to preserve and protect the health of the Taiya Inlet Watershed through research, restoration, education and communication, the Watershed Council and partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, identified a series of restoration objectives for Pullen Creek, a salmon spawning area in the heart of Skagway.  The culvert project was planned in response to two perched culverts which inhibited sediment transport and inhibited fish and spawn passage in the creek.

At 13.5 alley, the extant culvert was carefully removed and replaced with a larger and properly sloped culvert.  Again care was taken in locating work sites for heavy equipment, bank slopes were reestablished and restoration planting was accomplished with assistance from a SAGA crew.

Skagway River Debris Removal and Riparian Projet:

In order to restore and protect fish habitat in the Skagway and Dyea watersheds, the Taiya Inlet Watershed Council partnered with the Municipality of Skagway and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete two projects: (1) remove and dispose of a large amount of metal debris from the Skagway River floodplain and (2) work with the Municipality to write and adopt ordinance language to require stream setbacks when developing commercial and residential infrastructure and provide education to exisiting landowners on the importance of riparian habitat.

6th Annual Pat Moore Memorial Fish Derby:

The Taiya Inlet Watershed Council successfully implemented the community adored outreach event this summer raising funds to support TIWC, high school scholarships in Pat Moore’s name and support for other community events in Skagway.

As well as… Invasive Weed Pulls, Community Clean Sweep event, the National Park Service’s Jr Ranger Day, 3rd Annual Earth Day Disc Golf Tournament, Film Screenings and many more outreach events…