26Feb 2014 by Angie Eldred
Haines Wetland Program Underway With Local Advisory Committee Meeting

Haines Wetland Program Underway With Local Advisory Committee Meeting

Community Watershed Stewardship, Restoration & Mitigation
On February 28th, the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition’s Aquatic Resource Mitigation Coordinator will facilitate a meeting in Haines to discuss community wetlands identification and planning with a local advisory committee. The meeting is hosted by the Chilkoot Indian Association and is part of a tribal initiative to develop a public education tool that will inform the public and developers on the presence and value of wetlands in Haines.   The CIA and SAWC have invited Teri Camery, a senior planner and wetland review board lead for the City and Borough of Juneau, to present at the meeting and share with participants the experience of the CBJ in mapping and assessing wetlands in their community. SAWC works to support local governments and tribes to play an active role informing natural resource management…
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05Aug 2013 by Angie Eldred
GROW STRONG: Takshanuk Watershed Council Growing a Healthy Community

GROW STRONG: Takshanuk Watershed Council Growing a Healthy Community

Community Watershed Stewardship
  Food security and self-reliance are critical components to building sustainable communities in Southeast Alaska. Southeast communities’ characteristic remoteness and isolation make transport and delivery of important resources such as food or fuel more difficult. Recognizing the importance of working toward community self-reliance and increasing community food security, the residents of Haines voiced a desire for access to more locally produced foods. The Takshanuk Watershed Council listened to this request and responded with the development of their Grow Strong food security program.   The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. Food prices in Southeast communities carry a shipping cost that can be seen in the higher price…
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27Feb 2013 by Angie Eldred
Haines Youth Beach Cleanup

Haines Youth Beach Cleanup

Community Watershed Stewardship
Takshanuk Watershed Council organized a Youth Beach Cleanup effort this past August to improve water quality and bring awareness to the effects of improper waste disposal.     Many of the beaches in this area, especially those with a southern exposure, collect a lot of debris during winter storm events. Bringing youth to these beaches to see the amount of trash that accumulates even where no one lives shows them the effects of improper trash disposal.   On August 16, 2012 five youths and three adults spent 6 hours picking up debris along the outer beach of Taiyasanka Harbor.  A total of 660 pounds was collected and hauled to the ACME transfer station.  The cost of the disposal of this trash was $195.  A majority of the debris consisted of…
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27Feb 2013 by Angie Eldred
Recreational Shellfish Beach Monitoring Pilot Program (Haines)

Recreational Shellfish Beach Monitoring Pilot Program (Haines)

Community Watershed Stewardship
The Chilkoot Indian Association and Takshanuk Watershed Council are working together on a Pilot Recreational Shellfish Beach Monitoring Program in the Haines area.   [caption id="attachment_972" align="aligncenter" width="811"] Sites of PSP monitoring[/caption]   The goal of this monitoring program is to build knowledge of local trends in paralytic shellfish toxins and to establish knowledge of the risks of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in specific harvests. This pilot program is not yet sufficient to certify beaches as "safe" or completely ensure harvester safety from paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).   Staff from CIA and TWC sample harvesting sites at Viking Cove and Portage Cove each month, year round, for the two year pilot program. Mussels are collected from rocks on the beaches, the mussels are shucked, and the meat is sent to a…
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27Feb 2013 by Angie Eldred
Beach Sampling in Haines

Beach Sampling in Haines

Community Watershed Stewardship
The Takshanuk Watershed Council in Haines has instated a beach sampling program to test the town's beaches for the presence of fecal coliform and enterococci bacteria.   Impacts such as shoreline development, wastewater collection and treatment facilities, septic tanks, urban runoff, disposal of human waste from boats, commercial and domestic animals, and natural animal sources such as wildlife can affect and contaminate waters close to shore. People who swim and recreate in contaminated waters with such bacterial pollution are at an increased risk of becoming ill.   During the summer months, when people use beaches and shoreline areas most for recreation, Meredith Pochardt, of Takshanuk Watershed Council takes water samples at Lutak and Portage Cove beach areas. She sends the samples to a lab in Juneau for testing. [caption id="attachment_970"…
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26Feb 2013 by Angie Eldred
Haines Comstock Culvert Replacement

Haines Comstock Culvert Replacement

Community Watershed Stewardship
  In the fall of 2012, the Takshanuk Watershed Council (TWC) brought together funding from USFWS, Representative Bill Thomas, and mitigation money from the Haines Borough to replace the 0.1 mile Comstock Culvert and rebuild the incised stream to provide unimpeded fish passage.   [caption id="attachment_962" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Damaged culvert in poort condition[/caption] The Sawmill Creek tributary that crosses Comstock Road 0.1 miles from Allen Road supports spawning Coho salmon, cutthroat, and Dolly Varden Char.  In 2008 a survey of the 0.1 culvert revealed that it was in extremely poor condition, with day-lighting in the road, a perch of 42”, and an incised channel, not allowing for fish passage.  In the fall of 2012 A new culvert was installed to provide unimpeded fish passage. [caption id="attachment_963" align="aligncenter" width="541"] Finished culvert…
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12Oct 2010 by admin
Watershed Awareness In Haines

Watershed Awareness In Haines

Community Watershed Stewardship
The projects, programs and activities of the Takshanuk Watershed Council Stream Characterization Study: Takshanuk Watershed Council (TWC) has been working in the Chilkat, Chilkoot, and Ferebee watersheds to complete an assessment of salmon distribution and stream classification.  This project has been ongoing for the past five years.  Geographic information systems (GIS) technology is being used to correlate salmon distributions with the stream characteristics they use.  Streams are being mapped, categorized, and trapped to provide information that TWC will analyze to develop an analytical framework for assessing characteristics of small systems that are important to the production of salmon. The goals of this project will expand the Anadromous Waters Catalog (AWC) through hand netting and minnow trapping of juvenile salmon.  These same streams will be characterized using the ADF&G Sport Fish…
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