The work of a watershed council is to help bridge ideological gaps, bring everyone into the conversation, move past the roadblocks, and get on with the work of restoring the watershed... "Watershed Councils: It Takes a Community to Restore a Watershed". Rebecca Flitcroft (Jan. 2011). Pacific Northwest Research Station.
"Top 10 lists are often relentlessly negative: the 10 most-polluting industrial plants, the 10 most befouled beaches, and so on. The spirit of this list is slightly different: Good or bad, these are environmental moments in 2010 that are most likely to reverberate in the world of environmental news in 2011 and beyond." Felicity Barringer reports for the New York Times' Green blog December 31, 2010. SEE ALSO: "Science, People and the Planet in 2010" (Dot Earth) "2010: The Year in Environment" (Guardian) "Year In Review: Science Stories Of 2010" (NPR) Source: Green (NYT), 01/03/2011 These articles are provided by the Society of Environmental Journalists. The Society of Environmental Journalists was created in 1990 by a small group of award-winning journalists. Its mission is to strengthen the quality, reach and viability…
This will be the world’s first large-volume exports of water via tanker: companies have tried unsuccessfully for more than two decades to break open the bulk water export market. Past attempts have been thwarted by daunting logistics, concerns about natural resource sovereignty and commodification as well as the availability of cheaper local sources. [caption id="attachment_153" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Persistent water shortages are driving creative thinking about the water crisis. Luke Robinson (flickr)"][/caption] Read Article
The projects, programs and activities of the Takshanuk Watershed Council Stream Characterization Study: Takshanuk Watershed Council (TWC) has been working in the Chilkat, Chilkoot, and Ferebee watersheds to complete an assessment of salmon distribution and stream classification. This project has been ongoing for the past five years. Geographic information systems (GIS) technology is being used to correlate salmon distributions with the stream characteristics they use. Streams are being mapped, categorized, and trapped to provide information that TWC will analyze to develop an analytical framework for assessing characteristics of small systems that are important to the production of salmon. The goals of this project will expand the Anadromous Waters Catalog (AWC) through hand netting and minnow trapping of juvenile salmon. These same streams will be characterized using the ADF&G Sport Fish…
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…
How the Yakutat Salmon Board is working to promote their watersheds,salmon habitat,and local economy Biomass Experimental Plantation: In collaboration with Yakutat Power and the Yak-Tat Kwaan native Corporation, Yakutat Salmon Board (YSB) crews cleared two acres of poorly regenerating second growth spruce and planted six tree species to determine species compositions best suited to Yakutat's climate. If successful the trial will be expanded to 2400 acres of energy crops as an alternative fuel source to diesel for the community. Anadromous Waters Cataloguing: In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) , Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and the United States Forest Service (USFS), YSB coordinated a landscape level inventory of unmapped salmon streams in the Eastern Forelands. The project gained support of a USFS funded…
Current Projects of the Juneau Watershed Partnership Review of Past Restoration, Enhancement, and Mitigation Projects: JWP is partnering with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau to conduct an in-dept assessment and evaluation of past projects that were intended to protect, and restore Juneau's watersheds. Utilizing the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's report - Restoration and Enhancement of Aquatic Habitats in Alaska (Parry and Seaman, 1994) - JWP is conducting an inventory and assessment of projects implemented to date. Findings will be used to improve and support sustainable rehabilitation and enhancement efforts of our watersheds in the future. The results of this assessment will be published in December 2010. If you are interested in this project please visit or contact: JWP Lower Jordan Creek Watershed Stromwater Assessment JWP…
Community Stewardship All watershed councils in Southeast Alaska have, enhancing community stewardship as a central focus in their programs and initiatives. Stewardship is a word that refers to the actions and behaviors of individual, communities, governments, businesses, and industries that protect and enhance- rather than compromise- the ability of present and future generations to meet their own needs. This requires all of us to be aware of how we impact our environments and to take responsibility and accountability for the day to day choices we make that protect and promote the integrity of these ecosystems and/or ones that jeopardize the health and productivity of this communal resource. A collective shift in consciousness... The recognition of the connection between environmental quality and quality of life starts with an awareness about how…
SAWC member councils will be gathering in Haines Alaska for the coalitions annual retreat on September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We will be discussing ways to enhance our community outreach efforts by expanding our partnerships with diverse stakeholders in the region. We look forward to sharing our work with you. [gallery link="image"]
