Position Description: We are seeking an enthusiastic, detail-oriented intern to develop a stream stage–discharge relationship and assist with water and sediment quality monitoring in Jordan Creek, Juneau, AK. The intern will work with Dr. Eran Hood (UAS), the SAWC Science Director and SAWC Restoration Biologist to measure discharge at the site of an existing stream gage across a range of flows throughout the year. Under the supervision of Dr. Hood, the intern will use the data to develop a rating curve for Jordan Creek. The intern will also assist SAWC staff with water and sediment quality monitoring, which will occur once during the spring and summer, and up to three times during fall storm runoff. Water and sediment monitoring events will require full work days (one day in April, one…
SAWC is excited to begin a comprehensive project to address stormwater runoff in Jordan Creek (Juneau). Lower Jordan Creek is highly urbanized. Rainwater and snowmelt flow quickly over pavement, picking up pollutants and sediments and carrying them directly to the stream, where they can damage fish and invertebrate habitat and health. With funding from the AK Department of Environmental Conservation (Alaska Clean Water Actions Program), we will monitor the water for heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other urban pollutants for the next two years. Additionally, we will restore riparian vegetation, which can filter out pollutants and provide nutrients and habitat for fish, along one reach of the stream. Finally, we will develop a comprehensive watershed management plan by working with land owners and managers to identify solutions and funding sources that…
We are excited to release the Southeast Alaska Freshwater Temperature Monitoring Network Implementation Plan! The Implementation Plan explains why the network is important, reviews existing monitoring sites, lays out a sampling plan for the future, and outlines short- and long-term goals for the network. The strategic sampling plan addresses the need for long-term data, monitoring of culturally important sites, and filling in gaps in the types of systems that are monitored so that we can have a more robust understanding of stream temperature patterns and trends, and their drivers. Organizations that are monitoring stream temperature can learn more about the network on our website and sign onto the network via a Memorandum of Understanding, which can be found in the Implementation Plan. A big thanks to the Network Steering Committee and…
As the community of Wrangell continues to grow and develop, the City and Borough of Wrangell and its residents have sought to identify and prioritize local aquatic resources to better plan for future land development and strategize potential restoration-based mitigation opportunities. In an effort to support the informed management of Wrangell’s watersheds and aquatic resources, the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition (SAWC) has undertaken the Wrangell Area Watersheds Assessment. The purpose of the Wrangell Area Watersheds Assessment was to compile a dataset and report outlining key aquatic resources within the City and Borough of Wrangell, including an assessment of the current habitat condition of key aquatic resources, identification of sites that could benefit from restoration treatment, and outlining watershed management challenges and opportunities. The community of Wrangell and its surrounding area…
SAWC staff, joined by ADF&G Habitat Biologists, visited the dredge ponds in Fish Creek estuary, near Douglas, AK, to assess watershed enhancement opportunities in the area. To learn more about current habitat conditions, we measured water quality and trapped overwintering fish in both ponds. The east pond was completely iced over, but dissolved oxygen concentrations were high, and many stickleback and even a few juvenile Coho appeared in the fish traps. In the west pond, which is connected to Fish Creek and tidally influenced, we found many juvenile Coho, stickleback, sculpin, and even a shrimp in the fish traps. Water quality measurements indicated high dissolved oxygen concentrations and a mix of freshwater and salty, tidal water in the west pond. [caption id="attachment_7064" align="aligncenter" width="458"] Rebecca Bellmore, Jesse Lindgren, and Rob…
Stream temperatures affect the growth, health, and behavior of fish, and as the climate and hydrology of southeast Alaska change, stream temperatures will, too. A network of organizations across the region is monitoring stream temperature to establish baseline conditions and document changes over time. This summer, SAWC and several new organizations, including the Skagway Traditional Council, Wrangell Cooperative Association, and Ketchikan Indian Community established new monitoring locations, and will be contributing data to the regional network. [caption id="attachment_7006" align="aligncenter" width="3600"] Current sites with continuous stream temperature monitoring.[/caption]
Presentations from the 2018 Southeast Alaska Watershed Restoration Workshop are now available on the Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership's webpage! If you were unable to attend or would like to review the material, please check out the posted presentations.
SAWC hosted a regional watershed restoration workshop in Juneau March 5-7 to tackle issues around collaboration, technical capacity, funding, and coping with climate change. Individuals from over 30 organizations and agencies participated, sharing stories of success and lessons learned, and contributing to great discussions about how to move forward to make restoration efforts more successful in the region. A big thanks to the National Forest Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership for supporting the workshop. Presentations will soon be archived and available on SEAKFHP's website.
SAWC is part of a newly-funded Sea Grant project that will assess the resilience of Southeast Alaska salmon to a shifting freshwater environment. Along with researchers from the University of Alaska and the Forest Service, we will work with communities in Southeast Alaska to collect water temperature and flow data in streams that are important for traditional and subsistence use. We will develop a new model that integrates the effects of water temperatures and flows on salmon across their freshwater life stages to help us to better understand how salmon might respond to future changes. To learn more about the project, or if you are interested in participating, contact SAWC Science Director, Rebecca Bellmore rebecca@sawcak.org, or visit the SeaGrant webpage.
Stepping up to the plate for collaborative restoration March 5-7, Juneau AK Workshop Goals: The 2018 Southeast Alaska Watershed Restoration Workshop will build capacity to develop collaborative solutions for the restoration and informed management of SEAK’s watersheds. The event will bring together community leaders, NGOs and resource managers from across SEAK to share stories of restoration efforts – successes, techniques, and lessons learned, to network and develop partnerships for collaborative projects, and to provide tools and resources to build the capacity or our region’s land managers to carry out watershed restoration across the Tongass National Forest and its neighboring lands. Session topics will include collaborative approaches, capacity gaps and how to bridge them, funding opportunities and strategies, and successful restoration in a changing region. If you are interested in sharing your…
