Pat Creek, near the community of Wrangell, supports runs of coho, pink, sockeye, and chum salmon, as well as Dolly Varden char, Coastal Cutthroat trout, and Steelhead trout. The Pat Creek watershed is highly valued by the Wrangell community for its accessibility and opportunities for recreation and subsistence activities.
Much of the valley bottom in the Pat Creek watershed was logged in the 1960s, 70s, and 90s; about 2,000 acres of timber on federal lands was harvested during that time. These lands were transferred to the state of Alaska in 1991 and are presently managed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) Division of Forestry and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.
Because Pat Creek is a highly valued and utilized watershed for the community of Wrangell, it is important to ensure that the watershed resources are restored and maintained. The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition (SAWC), with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Habitat Restoration Program and the Patagonia World Trout Grant Program, conducted a reconnaissance level assessment of the Pat Creek watershed in August 2014 and March 2015. The purpose of the assessment was to improve our understanding of existing conditions in the watershed, including stream habitat conditions, and to identify opportunities for improving water quality and riparian and instream habitat. Information from the assessment will be used to develop a detailed restoration plan if conditions in the watershed warrant habitat enhancement and restoration activities.
View and download the Pat Creek Watershed Reconnaissance Report below:
Special thanks to our partners for providing financial and technical support for this project:
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Juneau Field Office, Habitat Restoration Program
US Forest Service – Tongass National Forest, Wrangell Ranger District
For more information on this project contact:
Angie Eldred, Project Coordinator
(907) 231-1710 | angie.eldred@sawcak.org