Watershed Science

The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition was founded on the belief that communities equipped with the information, tools, and resources necessary to participate in the management of their local natural resources are empowered to develop more effective long-term solutions that take into account each community’s unique environmental, cultural, and economic values.  This continues to be a core value and driving goal for the Coalition.

SAWC’s Watershed Science Program works to ensure that the latest natural resource science and research is accessible to community based groups, and that new and ongoing science and research efforts are addressing community needs.

Through the Watershed Science Program SAWC connects communities with scientific information, technical tools, and research networks; provides project-level  management and technical support services for science-based efforts; identifies and addresses regional science needs that are ideally suited for implementing at the community level; and represents a collective voice for community watershed science programs and efforts  across the region.

SAWC partners with communities, tribes, NGOs, and agencies to develop projects that support collaborative and informed solutions to the natural resource management needs of Southeast Alaska’s communities.

Southeast AK Stream Temperature Monitoring Network

In Southeast Alaska, climate change is expected to affect stream temperatures as air temperatures warm and hydrologic patterns shift. Understanding and anticipating these changes will be critical for predicting how salmon species and other aquatic resources be will affected by climate change. SAWC and our partners are working to build and support a network of entities collecting stream temperature data in Southeast Alaska, and to ensure that the data are useful and accessible to management agencies, researchers, and local community stakeholders.

Recent Posts

• WANTED: Watershed Monitoring Intern April 3, 2019
  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 ...
• Stormwater Monitoring, Restoration, and Watershed Planning for Jordan Creek April 3, 2019
  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 ...
• NEW! Implementation Plan for the SEAK Freshwater Temperature Monitoring Network March 25, 2019
  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 ...
• Wrangell Area Watersheds Assessment February 25, 2019
  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, ...
• Winter sampling in Fish Creek Estuary February 1, 2019
  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 ...
• New stream temperature monitoring sites added in Southeast Alaska August 30, 2018
  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 ...
• 2018 Restoration Workshop Presentations Available April 5, 2018
  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.
• Restoration community comes together at workshop March 15, 2018
  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 ...

Rebecca Bellmore, Science Director

Rebecca@sawcak.org | 907-302-3842