The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition believes communities that participate in identifying and addressing local watershed issues are better able to develop locally relevant solutions that take into account their community’s unique social, ecological, and economic conditions and values. SAWC is committed to supporting community organizations that are dedicated to actively engaging their community in researching, restoring, stewarding, developing, and conserving their local watersheds.
With access to administrative support and professional resources, SAWC member groups and community partners are developing projects in their communities that help to sustain healthy natural resources, build robust local economies, and support each community’s unique culture and way of life.
Program Services we Offer:
Fiscal Sponsorship & Administrative Services
SAWC offers fiscal sponsorship and administrative services for community based organizations in SEAK that have limited financial capacity and whose missions align with SAWC’s mission and core values. Fiscal sponsorship presents an affordable means for organizations to operate and access funding, freeing up staff time and resources to focus on carrying out their community priorities and projects.
Professional Development trainings & workshops
SAWC partners with local governments and tribes, state and federal agencies, non- profit organizations, environmental consultants and contractors, and developers to coordinate trainings that provide natural resource management professionals, watershed practitioners and community leaders the resources and skills they need to understand and promote the health of their communities, watersheds and local economies.
Community Watershed Stewardship Projects
Pat Creek Watershed Restoration – Wrangell, AK
The Pat Creek Watershed supports 4 species of salmon, Dolly Varden char, & coastal cutthroat trout, & steelhead trout, & offers fishing, hunting, berry picking, and numerous other recreation opportunities for the nearby community of Wrangell. Portions of the watershed were logged from the 1960s to the 1990s, and recent habitat condition surveys indicate current impacts to fish habitat as a result.
The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition has partnered with local, state, and federal stakeholders to assess fish habitat condition & explore habitat restoration options to improve ecological function of the watershed.
Community project updates:
- Restoring Fish Habitat on a Tributary of Pat’s Creek April 9, 2020Before: Introducing the project At the end of March, SAWC completed on the ground restoration work on a small tributary that feeds into the Pat’s Creek watershed near Wrangell, AK. This tributary had been damaged and blocked off in areas as a result of previous logging operations at the site. The goal of this project is to ...
- WANTED: Watershed Monitoring Intern April 3, 2019Position 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, 2019SAWC 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, 2019We 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 ...