Field Notes - December 2023

Reflections on 2023 and looking towards 2024

2023 was a good year for salmon habitat in Southeast Alaska. Highlights of SAWC and our partners' accomplishments include:  

• Two heavy equipment sized stream restoration projects. The Skanâxheen project was a Forest Service and SAWC project partially funded by our Compensatory Mitigation program. The Halfmile Creek project was designed and led by SAWC with help from Shaan Seet and the Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership(click the photo below to see a video on this project).  
• 8 hand tool sized stream restoration projects with numerous Tribal partners and the Forest Service. 
• Worked with a private landowner to replace a culvert blocking coho, chum, and pink salmon.  
• Finished the Annette Islands Watershed Assessment with the Metlakatla Indian Community.   

2024 is shaping up to be an impactful year. The below map shows habitat restoration projects that we’re working with partners on. These projects are important for the land and water, and by implementing them in cooperation with tribal groups, agencies, and community groups, this work will build regional capacity for salmon and wildlife habitat restoration, strengthen diverse partnerships, and empower community members. 

Things that we should do but did not make our resolution list:

~ Fix holes in waders

~ Clean office fridge

~ Organize gear room

Items outright dismissed from our list:

x Attend more Zoom meetings

x Check and sort emails

x Wash the office dogs

The impacts and extent of our changing climate have been in the headlines recently, from COP28 to the 2023 Arctic Report Card, to extreme events in our own backyards. It can all feel very dire and hopeless sometimes. While we know that big action is required at the national level, there is also a lot that communities can do to understand, prepare for, and mitigate climate change. SAWC has been working at the intersection of climate change, fish habitat, and community resilience for years, even if we don’t always characterize our work that way. Our work spans topics from information gathering and modeling to on-the-ground implementation of projects that will help reduce the impacts of climate change on our fisheries and our communities.

Information Gathering and Modeling

The Southeast Alaska Stream Temperature Monitoring Network, which SAWC helps coordinate, is a critical source of data that documents climate impacts across the region, and the data is informing our understanding of how salmon habitat is changing. Recently, we incorporated network data into a study that explores the risk of low oxygen (hypoxia) events that can harm or kill fish in watersheds across southeast Alaska(Sergeant, et al 2023). The model and results from this research can inform where adjusting hatchery release sites, changing weir technology, or other management strategies might reduce risk to wild salmon populations. 

We are also using network data to model current and future peak summer stream temperatures to understand which watersheds might continue to be (or become more) productive habitat for salmon, and which might need additional TLC or careful management to remain hospitable for salmon. Initial modeling points to watersheds where summer temperatures might become too hot for salmon in their lower reaches during certain times (dark red areas below).

Modeled peak 7-day average of daily maximums (7DAD-Max) during the summer (June-August) for watershed outlets across SE AK (DRAFT). The left panel shows modeled temperatures under current average snowfall conditions and glacier extent, and the right panel shows modeled temperatures under projected snowfall conditions for 2050 with estimated glacier loss.

Often, climate-related data is scattered across different scientific studies and reports, or isn’t in a form communities can easily use in vulnerability or adaptation planning studies at the local level. Recently, we’ve helped communities apply existing climate studies to their local planning efforts, including a Watershed Hydrology Assessment for the Resilience Plan for Tlákw Aan (Klukwan), and an assessment of the potential sensitivity of watersheds to climate impacts  for Metlakatla Indian Community’s soon-to-be-released Annette Island Watershed Plan. In an effort to fill an important data gap, we’re also helping groups collect temperature and flow data that will inform salmon life cycle models. These models will help us understand how local salmon populations might fare as flooding and droughts become more extreme.

Information Gathering and Modeling

Our “on-the-ground” work is contributing to climate resilience in the region. You might have guessed from our “Wood is Good Wednesday” posts – we love adding large wood to streams where it can help improve fish habitat. Not only will these areas be better for fish, but all of that wood in the streams and riparian areas helps to slow down and spread out water. This helps prevent salmon eggs from being scoured during floods and reduces the risk of downstream flooding. 

At right: Crews used hand tools (winches, pulleys, etc.) to move large wood into Buggy Creek on Kosciusko Island July, 2023.

Information Gathering and Modeling

Our “on-the-ground” work is contributing to climate resilience in the region. You might have guessed from our “Wood is Good Wednesday” posts – we love adding large wood to streams where it can help improve fish habitat. Not only will these areas be better for fish, but all of that wood in the streams and riparian areas helps to slow down and spread out water. This helps prevent salmon eggs from being scoured during floods and reduces the risk of downstream flooding. 

Riparian wildlife thinning is becoming an important part of our restoration toolbox because it promotes the growth of understory berries and other forage, providing habitat for deer and other wildlife. Access to these and other food resources is increasingly important (and precarious) in the face of climate change. 

Finally, when we upgrade undersized culverts that are difficult or impossible for salmon to swim through, we’re not only providing salmon with access to important habitat upstream. The new designs also decrease the risk of culverts and bridges failing during floods. With this upgraded infrastructure, roads will stay open and repair costs will be lower as we experience more extreme flood events.

The crew that worked on the Buggy Creek project included partners from the U.S. Forest Service and Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership.

Building Resilience

In Juneau, SAWC is involved in efforts to understand and mitigate the impacts of glacial outburst flooding in the Mendenhall River, which were unprecedented this summer. We recently applied for NOAA funding to better understand the potential impacts of future floods, stabilize the banks using fish-friendly techniques, and improve salmon habitat throughout the watershed – all in collaboration with the City and Borough of Juneau, AK Department of Fish and Game, AK Department of Natural Resources, and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida. Although we are still waiting for a funding decision, cooperative efforts like these will help our communities become climate-ready and implement strategies to reduce our climate impacts.

What can you do?

Diet – reducing the carbon-intensity of your diet can be a big deal. Consider cutting back the number of days you eat imported meat, particularly beef. Look for (or grow/catch/gather your own!) local seafood, greens, and other foods. 

Compost – take advantage of a commercially available option or start your own! If you’re worried about bears, here are hot tips from our office compost expert, John Hudson: 1.) No meat, fish, or dairy bits. 2.) let your compost bucket get a little slimy before you add it to your pile. No good smells? No problems.

Local carbon offset – Going on vacation this winter? Consider contributing to one of the local or regional carbon offset programs that help our communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions or store carbon on the landscape.

Divest from fossil fuels - Does your bank finance the climate crisis by loaning money to fossil fuel companies? If so, switch to a bank and credit card that supports alternative energy, community development, or fair housing.  

A message to our friends in Wrangell -

All of us over at the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition were very saddened to hear of the lives lost and community members missing following the devastating landslide in your community. 

We want you to know that we are thinking of you and that we greatly appreciate each of you for the work that you do to make Wrangell a great place to live and visit. It is our wish that Wrangell will emerge from this tragedy stronger than ever and that we can continue working together to make Wrangell even better.

Thanks for taking care of one another!

Roads and salmon streams intersect all across Southeast Alaska. Undersized, poorly installed, old, and failing culverts can impede fish from moving up and down streams to access food and spawning, overwintering and rearing habitat. SAWC, Metlakatla Indian Community Department of Fish and Wildlife (MIC-DFW), and US Fish and Wildlife Service USFWS) are stepping up to improve fish passage across Annette Island.

With funding from the USFWS and Federal Highways, 6 culverts on 4 streams are being replaced or removed to allow for free and easy fish passage. This will open up 6.2 miles of habitat! The design work is underway this winter.

USFWS and MIC-DFW look at one of two undersized culverts on Graveyard Creek that is being replaced to improve fish passage. Coho, pink, and chum salmon live in Graveyard Creek along with Dolly Varden and coastal cutthroat trout.

We’re hosting the 2024 Alaska Statewide Watershed Workshop: Strategic Collaboration for the Future - and YOU’RE invited! 

The in-person/virtual workshop will be held at the Juneau Yacht Club February 20 - 22, 2024. 

After the great success of our regional watershed workshop last March, we saw a the need to include other watershed-minded groups from around Alaska in a similar workshop. 

To that end, we’re working with a phenomenal team to put together the agenda for this statewide workshop - individuals from around Alaska will ensure content is useful, timely, impactful, and most of all, helps achieve our common goals. 

This workshop is aimed towards non-governmental and tribal organizations, and these groups will have priority if space is limited.

The major themes of the workshop are Communications and Collaboration, Organizational Development, and Data Support and Field Techniques.

Communications and Collaboration. How do we keep our communities connected when they’re geographically dispersed? How can we effectively communicate with decision makers on climate change? How can we communicate with each other -and keep this communication open long term? Attendees will enter the room as strangers and leave as allies.

The Organizational Development. We’ll hear what techniques organizations use to retain and build high quality staff. Then, we’ll put the “FUN” in funding - a discussion on all things money: how can we deal with a BIL funding hangover, how to accomplish your organization's priorities when it’s hard to fit into agency requirements…and how to deal with everything in between without losing your mind.

Data Support and Field Techniques provides a platform for showcasing boots-on-the-ground efforts. We’ll have an overview of the different data collection methods used across the state, and a poster session with an interactive showcase featuring GIS programs from across the state. Then, get ready for Fish Passage Bootcamp - everything you need to know when planning a fish passage project. This session will be tailored to a broad audience - from experts to individuals just getting their feet wet. This will give a snapshot of how we get work done, and build partnerships. 

Workshop registration and the agenda will be available in January. Email khrystl@sawcak.org to be added to the workshop mailing list and receive the registration link when it’s live.

If you’re interested in attending but need travel funding assistance, fill out our pre-registration form here. 

A huge THANK YOU to our planning team: Copper River Watershed Project, Tyonek Tribal Conservation District, Kenai Watershed Forum, Yukon River Inter Tribal Watershed Council, Anchorage Waterways Council, Tanana Valley Waterways Association, AHTNA Intertribal Resource Commission, Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, and Trout Unlimited. Funded by the NRCS.

SAWC and the USFS are gearing up for another season of stream restoration on Kuiu Island. 

Last summer heavy machinery was used to place 150 trees in the South Fork Skanâxheen to improve fish habitat and help reconnect the creek to the floodplain. Next summer SAWC and USFS will be restoring another stream on the island: Shorty Creek in the Rowan Bay Watershed.

Historic logging next to Shorty Creek degraded fish habitat through the removal of downed trees from the stream and timber harvest in the floodplain. Fallen trees in streams play a crucial role in creating pools and spawning gravel and providing cover for fish to hide from predators. Round 2 of stream restoration in Shorty Creek begins next June. 

An excavator places a tree in South Fork Skanâxheen under the supervision of USFS Hydrologist Heath Whitacre This project was supported with funds from SAWC’s Compensatory Mitigation program. Photo by Lee House.

In late September 2023, two Juneau residents contacted SAWC about a strange plant in their neighborhood. SAWC visited the site and found coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) across three private properties and the adjacent state-owned highway right-of-way. This is the first confirmed occurrence of coltsfoot in Alaska.

Coltsfoot is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and parts of Asia. The genus name, Tussilago, comes from the Latin word tussis, which means “to cough”. The translation is apt, as coltsfoot is used by people in its native range as an herbal expectorant. Coltsfoot spreads by rhizomes and by seed. The flowers and stems emerge before the leaves, and generally flowers and leaves are not seen at the same time. Coltsfoot grows in low-lying damp and disturbed edge habitats, such as stream banks and roadsides. It requires moist soil and is not shade-tolerant. Therefore, it rarely grows in the interior of intact forest stands.

Coltsfoot is considered a weedy species in its native range. It can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, has prolific seed production and high germination rates, and can vegetatively reproduce from small pieces of rhizome after removal. These qualities allow populations to form monocultures in disturbed habitats. 

We think coltsfoot was intentionally planted in a garden before spreading into the public road corridor. We will continue to track its spread, search for additional plants, and promote public awareness. Stay tuned as we develop, share, and implement a rapid response control plan in 2024!

Pictured below are two examples of coltsfoot seen in Juneau.

Coltsfoot unlawfully making a home in Juneau.

In our last newsletter, we introduced you to HappyFish - an international symbol created by the World Fish Migration Day organization to bring awareness to the importance of free flowing rivers to migratory fish.

After visiting fish passage and habitat restoration projects on Prince of Wales Island, HappyFish came back to Juneau before heading north. Our GIS and Communications Specialist escorted HappyFish to Anchorage, where HappyFish attended the MatSu Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium and the NRCS Alaska Farm and Food Festival.

With some teamwork, HappyFish then migrated all the way to South Carolina to accompany the Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partner Coordinator at the National Fish Habitat Partnership and Fish Passage Program meetings. These national level meetings brought nationwide FHP coordinators together to talk all things fish habitat - and HappyFish was a welcomed companion.

HappyFish is wintering in the lower 48, but will return to Alaska for more summer adventures! To keep track of all of HappyFish's travels, check out our StoryMap.

Thanks to all the helping hands who supported HappyFish's Alaska migration - NOAA(Anchorage lodging), USFWS (unwavering field and shipping support), MatSu Salmon Habitat Partnership(a fabulous host even in a snowstorm), and the National Fish Habitat Partnership.

HappyFish makes a splash at the Matsu Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium in Palmer, Alaska (top) before heading South Carolina to attend the NFHP meeting (bottom).

Good watershed stewardship begins with an informed youth. Skagway Traditional Council (STC) environmental staff have brought environmental education to a new level in Skagway. Each year staff bring salmon to the school where students watch salmon develop from fertilization through the fry stage in an aquarium. STC-led aquatic invertebrate lessons help answer the question: What do baby fish eat when they run out of yolk? The answer becomes obvious when students release live bugs into the fish-filled aquarium.

Bugs and fish can only thrive when water quality is high. To help make this connection, STC staff inject a healthy dose of Stormwater Impacts 101 into the curriculum. Students learn about pollutants in urban runoff, examine and map catch basins and drains in the community, and have maintained local green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) designed to cleanse runoff of pollutants. Armed with this new stormwater knowledge, fourth and fifth graders have even testified before city leaders on the need for more GSI in town.   

Last October, SAWC and STC staff teamed up to bring live aquatic critters into the classroom for study and to get students out of the classroom to map stormwater infrastructure. While fish and bugs are easy to see and get excited about, experiential learning about invisible pollutants can be challenging. The solution? Tracer dye! In what may have been the first-ever runoff simulation in all of Alaska, students watched dye-stained “runoff” disappear into a catch basin and then reappear at the outfall of a storm drain. With the Police Chief looking on and his drone aloft overhead, the excited kids chased the magenta plume down Pullen Creek for two blocks. 

Stormwater education can’t get more fun and informative than that.  

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