Angie Eldred | Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

09Jun 2015 by Angie Eldred

Tongass National Forest Watershed Restoration Program

[caption id="attachment_5510" align="aligncenter" width="903"] Photo courtesy of US Forest Service[/caption] According to the US Forest Service, the streams and lakes of the Tongass National Forest produce 80% of the annual Southeast Alaska commercial salmon catch. In an effort to steward this important resource, Tongass Fisheries and Watershed staff are strategically targeting watersheds in the region that have been heavily impacted by past management activities for collaborative efforts to restore critical salmon habitat and enhance ecological function of these aquatic resources. The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition is excited to work with the US Forest Service to support and advance regional watershed restoration efforts. Learn more about the Tongass National Forest Watershed Restoration Program and their 2015-16 program priorities: [gview file="https://www.alaskawatershedcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TNFWatershedRestorationProgram2015.pdf"] [gview file="https://www.alaskawatershedcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TNF_Watershed_Restoration_Fishpass_Enhancement_Programs_2015_2016_06022015.pdf"]

14May 2015 by Angie Eldred

Pat Creek Watershed Reconnaissance – Wrangell

Community Watershed Stewardship

[caption id="attachment_5485" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Pat's Lake, at the outlet of Pat Creek[/caption] 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…

13May 2015 by Angie Eldred

Monitoring Traditional Subsistence Resources With Environmental DNA

Community Watershed Stewardship

Eulachon, locally pronounced "hooligan" have been an important subsistence food source for residents of the Chilkoot and Chilkat Rivers near Haines for generations. Eulachon are anadromous (spending part of their life in the ocean, part in fresh water) fish that gather in large schools at the mouths of rivers and streams before heading up to spawn each spring. During annual runs, the small, oily fish can be easily harvested in large quantities, and are often smoked or dried and eaten as a traditional subsistence food. In Southeast Alaska Eulachon runs are present in the watersheds of the Unuk, Stikine, Taku, Mendenhall, Lace, and Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers. [caption id="attachment_5459" align="alignleft" width="500"] Eulachon filling the Chilkoot River during the 2011 run.[/caption] In southern portions of Eulachon habitat range the species has been…

05May 2015 by Angie Eldred

Local Mitigation & Watershed Planning: POW Community Meeting 5/13

Restoration & Mitigation

Please join the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition for a community meeting in Klawock on May 13th! This meeting will provide information on the proposed Southeast Alaska Mitigation Fund; how communities can interact with this program to plan and carry out aquatic resource mitigation and restoration. Please visit https://www.alaskawatershedcoalition.org/programs/aquaticresourcemitigation for more information on aquatic resource mitigation in Southeast Alaska

01May 2015 by Angie Eldred

Sitka Community Meeting: the Southeast Alaska Mitigation Fund | May 11

Restoration & Mitigation

The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition will be in Sitka Monday May 11 to provide information on the proposed Southeast Alaska Mitigation Fund and aquatic resource mitigation in Southeast Alaska! Learn more about aquatic resource mitigation in Southeast Alaska

24Apr 2015 by Angie Eldred

A New Home Base for Takshanuk Watershed Council!

Community Watershed Stewardship

[caption id="attachment_5414" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Renovations underway at TWC's Jones Point property[/caption] Congratulations to TWC, the new owner of the Jones Point Property in Haines! The property encompasses 50 acres full of opportunity for stewardship, restoration, education, and recreation for the Haines community. Located on the banks of the Chilkat River and previously owned by Native village corporation Klukwan Inc., the property hosts several buildings that TWC intends to renovate and a large garage that will be taken down for safety concerns. Takshanuk Watershed Council obtained ownership of the property with support from The Conservation Fund. The property is currently a registered contaminated site with vehicle, boat, and machinery remnants awaiting proper removal and disposal, as well as contaminated soils deposited on site from other Klukwan Inc. properties that will require remediation.…

16Apr 2015 by Angie Eldred

Taiya Inlet Watershed Council Brings Salmon to the Classroom

Community Watershed Stewardship

Taiya Inlet Watershed Council connects kids to their backyard watersheds and fishy neighbors with the Salmon in the Classroom program. TIWC Coordinator Rachel Ford gives us an update on Salmon in the Schools at Skagway Elementary school! [caption id="attachment_5397" align="aligncenter" width="700"] K-2 students play the food web game to learn where fish get their dinner[/caption] This is the third year of our Salmon in the Classroom program and what an interesting year it has been! Last year we were able to acquire local king salmon eggs collected and fertilized by the Department of Fish and Game and were therefore able to release our salmon at fry stage. This year, the Elementary school students have been watching the salmon life cycle through a cohort of coho eggs native to the Juneau…

14Apr 2015 by Angie Eldred

Takshanuk Watershed Council Hosts Community Mining Forums

Community Watershed Stewardship

Last week, Takshanuk Watershed Council hosted community mining forums in Haines and Klukwan to present information on large scale mining in Alaska. Sponsored by Chilkat Indian Village, Chilkoot Indian Association, Constantine Metal Resources Ltd., Lynn Canal Conservation, The Haines Chamber of Commerce and Lynn Canal Gillnetters; a range of speakers with knowledge and experience in permitting, mine development, environmental assessment, and socioeconomic and community impacts of large scale mines presented at the event. Moderated by Margaret Friedenauer, the forum's presentations were recorded and are available to stream at KHNS.org http://khns.org/community-mining-presentation Forum presentations are available for download at http://takshanuk.org/mininginfopresentation

24Mar 2015 by Angie Eldred

SAMF Community Meetings in Wrangell & Ketchikan

Restoration & Mitigation

SAWC is coming to Wrangell and Ketchikan to talk about the proposed Southeast Alaska Mitigation Fund In-Lieu Fee program & how it can be used as a tool to advance aquatic resource mitigation in Southeast Alaska communities! Mark your calendars, we hope to see you there! If you would like to discuss potential mitigation sites in your community while SAWC is in town, please contact Angie Eldred to schedule a site visit

09Mar 2015 by Angie Eldred

Wrangell Beach Program: 2014 Results

Community Watershed Stewardship

2014 Wrangell Beach Monitoring Program Results: Beaches Meet Water Quality Standards This summer the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition began a recreational beach monitoring program to test popular local beaches for levels of harmful bacteria. With support from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation the Wrangell Beach program sampled waters at City Park and Petroglyph beach for organisms that indicate fecal contamination. The Beach Program was established by the Alaska DEC through the Alaska Clean Water Actions program to provide support for communities to begin monitoring marine water quality at high-priority beaches for bacterial pollution, specifically, fecal coliform and enterococci. City Park and Petroglyph beaches were identified by DEC as high priority because they are commonly used for community recreation. [caption id="attachment_5252" align="alignnone" width="611"] Petroglyph Beach sample site[/caption] The Southeast…

Author: Angie Eldred