Transportation Challenges
In more than three years we have planned and executed a food hub in Southeast Alaska as a way to solve the most critical challenge in order for food producers, especially vegetable farmers, to grow their operations and access larger urban markets. Here are our lessons learned regarding the challenges that transportation continues to pose for a regional food economy. While other regional studies address general transportation options, this white paper uses the food hub’s experiences as a case study to examine the specific barriers, costs, and recommendations for improving transportation options for the region’s vegetable producers. [gview file="https://www.alaskawatershedcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Transportation-Whitepaper-SAWC-2020.pdf"]
Restoring Fish Habitat on a Tributary of Pat’s Creek
Before: 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 return the stream to its natural condition prior to logging, allowing for fish passage and sustaining habitat for fish species. Here's an overview of the project site before restoration took place (photograph taken from the Zimovia Hwy bridge): The blue line shows roughly where the stream channel lies beneath piles of slash, sod, and a discarded puncheon trail. This stream crosses under a log stringer bridge from an old road (the black line),…
Klawock Lake Sockeye Salmon Action Plan
Sockeye salmon from Klawock Lake have been important to the livelihood and culture of the people of Klawock, Craig, and Prince of Wales Island for millennia. Over the last two decades there have been significant declines in the number of fish returning to the Klawock Watershed, and a group of tribal, native corporation, government, non-profit, and private sector partners are working to reverse this decline. With support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and with facilitation and coordination from Kai Environmental, this group of stakeholders and community members has produced the Klawock Lake Sockeye Salmon Action Plan. The purpose of the Klawock Lake Sockeye Salmon Action Plan is to help guide landowners, stakeholders and the Klawock community in promoting healthy and sustainable sockeye salmon populations in Klawock Lake for…
Restoration Potential in the Mendenhall Wetlands
The Mendenhall Wetlands, extensive intertidal and estuarine wetlands between the Juneau mainland and Douglas Island, are a globally recognized Important Bird Area, an ecological hotspot in Southeast Alaska, and a treasured recreation area for Juneau. These wetlands have been heavily impacted by urbanization and resource development over the years, leading to habitat degradation and fragmentation. The Watershed Coalition recently completed a restoration opportunity assessment for the area to identify sites that have been altered or degraded but have the potential to be restored. We identified projects on several city, state, and private properties, and are already exploring some of these opportunities with the land owners and managers. We anticipate that this US Fish and Wildlife Service-funded assessment will lead to multiple wetland habitat restoration projects that reconnect and rehabilitate habitat…
Klawock Lake Watershed: Threemile Creek Restoration Opportunities
For: Klawock Sockeye Salmon Stakeholder Group By: Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition: John Hudson, Rob Cadmus, and Rebecca Bellmore and The Nature Conservancy: Conor Reynolds. Click for the full report below. [gview file="https://www.alaskawatershedcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Klawock-Threemile-Restoration-Opportunities-10_9_19-min.pdf"]
Pat’s Creek Restoration in the News!
Check out a recent KTSK radio story and article in the Wrangell Sentinel about our restoration project in Pat's Creek. The US Fish and Wildlife Service put together a fun time lapse video showing the action. It wonderful to see this project through to completion!
Before and After Restoration at Pat Creek
Restoration of salmon habitat at Pat Creek near Wrangell is underway. SAWC and our partners are adding large woody debris to about 1 km of stream. Fish like trees (when they fall in they create pools and other preferred habitats). The lack of mature trees along (and also in) the creek has resulted in less than optimal fish habitat including overwidened areas lacking pools and cover. Here is a before and after shot from the same spot on Pat Creek that shows the addition of large wood. Before After
Work Starts for the Pat Creek Fish Habitat Enhancement Project
Work started today on SAWC's Pat Creek Fish Habitat Enhancement Project! Photo: Mike Brunfelt, with Interfluve, Inc., works with Brett Woodbury, BW Enterprises to improve fish habitat to Wrangell's Pat Creek. Location: Wrangell Island, Southeast Alaska Fish: Salmon (Coho, Pink, Chum, Sockeye), Dolly Varden char, Cutthroat Trout History: The valley bottom was logged in the 1960’s-70’s. This logging occurred before stream buffers were required, and trees on the stream’s banks were harvested. Restoration Need: Fish like trees (when they fall in they create pools and other preferred habitats). The lack of mature trees along (and also in) the creek has resulted in less than optimal fish habitat including overwidened areas lacking pools and cover. The Project: During the summer of 2019, “large wood” (tree trunks/roots) will be added to…
Pullen Creek gets a facelift
Pullen Creek is a spring-fed salmon stream that flows through the heart of Skagway, Alaska. In 2006 a roughened channel was constructed downstream of Congress Way to help migrating salmon get through a perched culvert (think of a perched culvert as a small waterfall and a roughened channel as an access ramp). Over the years, high flows removed small rocks in the channel exposing landscaping cloth and eliminating salmon spawning habitat and places for insects to live. This week SAWC replaced the missing rocks with a mix a sand, gravel, and cobbles to restore the streambed in time for a big run of pink salmon later this summer. Check out a video on Facebook.