Alaska Fisheries and Habitat

8/12/2019 Alaska Fisheries and Habitat

1/20

https://www.facebook.com/USFWS.AK.Fisheries.Habitat

Alaska

Fisheries & Habitat

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mission:Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants

and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people

U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceuSpring 2013 Issue 1


2/20

In Alaska, Service employees are devoted to habitatconservation partnerships, research, education, andmonitoring. This bi-annual publication showcasesthe innovative, collaborative, and enthusiastic wayswe deliver on-the-ground conservation and, moreimportantly, why that conservation matters.

2 l Spring 2013

Inside this Issue

Welcome / 3

Fish-Friendly Culverts Hold Tight Through 100-Year Flood / 4

Alaskas Aquatic Invaders / 5

Alaskas Fish Habitat Partnerships / 6

Uniquely Alaska: Logistics / 10

2012 Retirees / 11

News Briefs / 15

Spotlight on Technology: Video Weirs / 16

Land Use Planning and Salmon /17

Reconnecting with the Chena River / 18

Fish From Your Point of View! / 20

Feature Articles

Selawik Sheefish: Murky Future in a Changing Climate?/ 7

Mat-Su Salmon: A Decade of Strategic Habitat Conservation/ 12

Short Pieces

Libby BenolkinJon Gerken

Derick HildrethDoug McBrideMeg Perdue

Jeff AdamsJessica Armstrong

Fred BueRandy Brown

Jeremy CarlsonBill Carter

Laurel DevaneyRay Hander

Aaron Martin

Cheryl AndersonJeff Anderson

Jim BoersmaHeather Fuller

Ken Gates

Anchorage Fish & Wildlife Field Office

Fairbanks Fish & Wildlife Field Office

Juneau Fish & Wildlife Field OfficeJohn Hudson

Kenai Fish & Wildlife Field Office

Neil Stichert

Alaska Regional Office (Anchorage)Jerry Berg

Mike BuntjerKatrina Mueller

Cecil RichDavid Wigglesworth

Gerald MaschmaJeremy Mears

Jeff MelegariMitch Osborne

Geoffrey CookPenny CraneJason EverettBlair Flannery

Cara LewisRandal Logues

Jeff OlsenOra Schlei

Conservation Genetics Lab (Anchorage)

Suresh SethiBill SpearmanJohn Wenburg

Bill RiceTheresa Tanner

Ken HarperSteve Miller

ALASKA FISHERIES & HABITAT STAFF

Contact Katrina Mueller with commentsor questions, or if youd like to subscribe to

Alaska Fisheries & Habitat [email protected]/ (907) 786-3637

Front Cover:Frank Berry, Jr. releases aSelawik River sheefish. Above left: juvenilesalmon schooling at the confluence of theRussian and Kenai Rivers. Katrina Mueller/USFWS


3/20

3 l Spring 2013

Alaska is a special place. For the residents who, after long cold winters, shedtheir parkas, put on their hip boots, and head to their favorite fishing groundsto fill the freezer and continue long-standing subsistence traditions, or enjoycatch-and-release fly fishing...and for visitors who come here from all over theworld hoping to catch a king or silver salmon or watch bears, migratory birds,and other abundant wildlife.

Covered with literally millions of pristine lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and

estuaries, Alaska abounds with fish and wildlife. Its intact landscapes form thefoundation of the fisheries that feed our nationfrom the Bering cisco in NewYork City restaurants to the King salmon in Seattles Pike Place Market to theCopper River and Bristol Bay sockeye salmon in the seafood section of yourlocal grocery store.

Alaskas abundant variety of Pacific salmon and whitefish species are uniquelyimportant to sustaining the Alaskan way of life and its economy. AlaskaNatives rely on these fish for food and to sustain their traditions and quality oflife. They have been listening to what fish and wildlife have been telling themfor centuriesrespect and care for fish and wildlife and they will provide forthe needs of Alaska families and communities, now and in the future. Many

Alaskans have jobs that are directly or indirectly related to the states robust fisheries. Conserving Alaskasrich mosaic of intact, functional aquatic habitats goes hand-in-hand with conserving Alaskas fish and the

contributions they make to the states economy, subsistence activities, and diversity.

While Alaska is fortunate not to have any of its fish listed under the Endangered Species Act, it is by nomeans immune to the stressors and rapid landscape changes that are impacting native fish elsewhere.Habitat degradation, fragmentation, and loss are the leading threats to North Americas native freshwaterand diadromous fish species approximately 40% are imperiled. Climate change, habitat fragmentation, andinvasive species are already changing the vast Alaska landscape that shapes the diversity of habitats fromwhich our incredibly valuable fisheries originate.

In partnership with Alaska Native organizations, local and state governments, Fish Habitat Partnerships, ourRefuges, and others, we have been working for many years to conserve fisheries and the habitats that supportself-sustaining populations of native fish and wildlife. The strength of our programs lies in our staffs expertiseand ability to work with others to achieve conservation results, build local conservation capacity, and bring astrategic focus to projects that protect and restore priority habitats. Intact watersheds, good water quality, and

robust fisheries attract tourists, create jobs, sustain our cultural legacy, and support businesses, all of whichcontribute to the states economy and to residents quality of life.

Going forward, we will continue to work closely with others to refine our conservation objectives in order totarget our funding and staff time around those activities that will help conserve habitat conditions necessary forself-sustaining populations of migratory fish and other priority species.

n 12,000+ rivers and more than 3 million lakes.n over half of the U.S. coastline and two-thirds of its total wetland acreagn sport anglers spent $1.4 billion in 2007 and supported over 16,000 jobsn the value of salmon at Alaska docks in 2012 exceeded $500 million.

ALASKA

WELCOM

Timothy JenningsAssistant Regional Director,

Fisheries and Ecological ServicesU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Region 7


4/20

4 l Spring 20134 l Spring 2013

Culverts channel streams underroads. We drive over dozens everyday and dont think much aboutthem until theres a problemawashout, frost heave, or...blockedfish migration!

While Alaska isknown for extremeweather,SouthcentralAlaska was hitparticularlyhard last fallwith heavy rains,strong winds, andwidespread flooding.

Flood waters overtopped manyroads, resulting in closures,

erosion, culvert damage, and atleast five undersized crossingsbecoming overwhelmed andcarried downstream.

But the 80+ road-stream crossingsfitted with larger, fish-friendly

For fish, swimming under a road needs to be as easy as swimmingthrough other non-impacted stream reaches. Habitat through fish-friendly stream simulation culverts is engineered to mimic thenatural stream channel and promote fish passage!

Fish-friendly culverts keepfish habitat and communitiesconnected, no matter whatthe weather!

WIN-WIN!

structures in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough survived theflood with flying colors. Theseenhancements are the resultof investments and leveragingof Service funds/staff time into

partnerships and projectsthat improved fishpassage where

roads intersectedanadromouswaters (thosethat supportfish like salmonthat return to

their freshwaterbirthplace to

spawn).

This recent flood event showed

that road-stream crossingsdesigned to let juvenile salmonmove freely among importantrearing habitats not only boost fishproduction, but are also immenselyvaluable from a road maintenanceand public safety perspective!

USFWS Hydrologist/Fish Passage Engineer Bill Ricepasses through a fish-friendly culvert in Wasilla,

Alaska. K.Mueller/USFWS

Our Fish Passage Program partnered with theMat-Su Borough to replace a 5 ft round culvert onColter Creek with this fish-friendly 14 ft arch culvertfollowing the 2006 floods. K.Mueller/USFWS

Bill surveys a fish passage barrier and roadmaintenance nightmare from a road that crosses CoCreek. K.Mueller/USFWS

Jim Jenson, Mat-Su Borough Directorof Operations and Maintenance

the fish passageculverts definitelylowered the potential

for failure on many roads duringthese last floodsLearn more about our Alaska Fish Passage Program!

http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/restoration/passage.htm


5/20

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)are those non-nativeplants and animals that, once introduced to a waterbody,quickly become widespread and cause harm to economies,environments, and/or human health.

Did you know? After habitat loss, invasivespecies are considered the second biggestthreat to native species.

Did you know? Annually, AIS cost the U.S.tens of billions of dollars in damages and control

n ELODEA is believed to beAlaskas first non-native aquplant.n EXTREMELY invasive:survives under ice/spreads bfragments introduced by boatrailers, float planes, equipmand school/home aquariums

n 15 confirmed infestatioAnchorage, Fairbanks, Cordoand Kenai Peninsula waters.

n Shown to degrade salmand grayling habitat. Alsofouls boat propellers and floaplane rudders, and impedes launching, navigation, and fi

YOU CAN HELPn Support eradication effortseducate yourself and others ainvasive species.

n Teachers, students, aquarihobbyists:dont let it loose!

n Boaters: carefully inspect anremove any visible aquatic plantfragments from your boat and tra

before leaving waterbody.

n Float planes: Before enterinaircraftremove visible plants anpump water from floats. Before tdont taxi through heavy plant grraise and lower rudders. After taraise and lower rudders to free pfragments while over the watersare leaving or over land.

n Report sightings:Note loca

(GPS or mark on map) and waterdepth/clarity. Take a specimen(pat a minimum). Take as much of entire plant as you can (includingthe tiny flower on a long thin stapresent). Put in a zip lock bag, bowax paper and store in a cool plaCall 1-877-INVASIV.

Cut this out and put it in your floatplane, or with your outdoor

5 l Spring 2013

They hitchhike into Alaska via thepet trade and school aquaria kits; onmarine debris/litter; in the ballastwater of ships; and embedded in thesoles of boots and on angling andhunting gear. Once here, theyreintroduced into new waters by ourboats and trailers, floatplanes, all-terrain vehicles, pets, outdoor gear,or by aquarium owners with goodintentions. From Elodea to zebramussels, the arrival and spread of

AIS is almost always at the expenseof native species and associatedgoods and services.

Fortunately, Alaskas aquaticinvaders are (so far) still fairlywell-contained. There is still ashort window of opportunity toavoid the overwhelming economicand ecological impacts AIS havecaused elsewherebut only if wecoordinate a very rapid response toprevent their spread.

In Alaska, our Invasive SpeciesProgram focuses on:

1) preventing AIS from enteringAlaska and becoming established,

2) detecting and responding rapidlyto those invasives that do, and

3) building awareness about AIS.

A dense infestation of non-native ElodeainChena Lake near Fairbanks, Alaska.

We do this via funding, technicalexpertise, and coordination support.For example, were currently:

n coordinating early AIS detectionand rapid response efforts,

n providing funding to the AlaskaDepartment of Fish and Game tocarry out their Aquatic NuisanceSpecies Management Plan,

n funding nearly a dozen coastalAlaska communities to set traps

for European green crabs andsettling plates for invasivetunicates that may be brought toAlaska by shipping traffic,

n facilitating development ofa statewide communicationstrategy, and

n working with partners andother Service Programs to buildawareness about and to eradicateor control AIS.

AISNVASION!

EL

ODEA

Learn more about our Invasive Species Program!http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/invasive/index.htm

Invasive Species Program


6/20

6 l Spring 2013

The Southeast Alaska Candidate Fish Habitat Partnership seeks to foster cooperative fishhabitat conservation in freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems across the southernpanhandle of Alaska with a focus on the waters of the Alexander Archipelago.

Recognized Alaska Fish Habitat Partnerships1. Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership

2. Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership3. Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership

Alaskas Newest Candidate Partnership4. Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership

Alaskas Fish Habitat Partnershipsare part of a national network

of voluntary, place-based

collaboratives working to protect,restore, and enhance the Nationsnative fish and aquatic resources.

Nurturing Capacity for ConservationFish Habitat Partnerships

Coordinator Corn

12

3

Other relevant sites:National Fish Habitat Partnership:www.fishhabitat.orgWestern Native Trout Initiative:www.westernnativetrout.org

Like so many other places in Alaska, the southern panhandle is a unique and special place filled with mansmall vibrant communities with economies and ways of living linked closely to surrounding natural resources.Our communities share a deep relationship rooted in the bounties of intact and productive fish habitat.

While overall salmon and other fish populations remain strong here, localized declines and areas facinghabitat degradation spurred the formation of the Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership, currently acandidate partnership under the National Fish Habitat Partnership architecture.

To date, most regional fish habitat conservation and restoration efforts in Southeast Alaska have beenconducted unilaterally by large organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service or through small collaborativeefforts with non-governmental organizations working with agency partners. Our newly formed partnershipintends to build on these efforts by providing a framework for improved information sharing, developingregional conservation priorities, funding coordination and interagency/partner cooperation.

Making great strides over this last year our partnership is well on its way to building a strong network ofregional partners, completing a regionally focused conservation action plan and providing facilitation servicesto partners and Southeast communities. Our partners share a belief that many benefits result when multiplepartners come together to share resources, align strategic actions, and speak with a united voice about theconservation and value of productive and intact fish habitats at both local and regional scales. The success ofour efforts relies on the breadth and common focus of our partners.Deborah Hart, SEAFHP Coordinator

WHY are Fish Habitat Partnerships critical? Intact habitat isthe foundation of healthy, robust native fish populations.In Alaska, our Fish Habitat Partnerships cover several distinctly unique regions for good reason: habitat loss iscurrently the leading cause of native freshwater fish extinctions in the U.S. Although much of Alaska still hasintact habitats, the risk of losing key habitats in areas with increasing human population and/or developmentpressures is very real. Proactive actions, and the strength of public/private partnerships, will ultimately decide thefuture suitability and quality of Alaskas habitats and dictate the resiliency of associated fisheries.

What are Alaska Fish Habitat Partnerships doing to move the conservation needle?n growing locally-relevant technical capacity and expertise to maximize on-the-ground conservation results,n identifying and supporting projects that conserve priority habitats across Alaskas massive landscape,n leveraging resources to match federal funding initiatives, andn providing a local and active forum for information exchange.

CONNECT with Alaskas Fish Habitat Partnerships:Mat-Su: www.matsusalmon.org; https://www.facebook.com/MatSuSalmonSouthwest: www.swakcc.orgKenai: www.kenaifishpartnership.orgSoutheast: www.seakfhp.org

Deborah Hart,Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat

Partnership Coordinator


7/20

7 l Spring 2013


Did you know? In the Inupiaq language of NorthwestAlaska, Selawik means place of sheefish.

RangeSheefish are found in many of theArctic and sub-Arctic waters of Asiaand North America. Selawik River-origin sheefish spend their entire lifewithin the Selawik River and theSelawik Lake/Hotham Inlet estuarysystem. Selawik sheefish have beencaptured as far west as the nearshorewaters of Kotzebue Sound. Theyoverwinter in Selawik Lake and thebrackish waters of Hotham Inlet andspawn in the upper reaches of theSelawik River.

SpawningOnly two sheefish spawning groundsare known to exist in NorthwestAlaska: in the upper Selawik andupper Kobuk Rivers. The SelawikRiver spawning grounds are locatedentirely within the Selawik NationalWildlife Refuge. Adult sheefish mayspawn every year or skip years torebuild sufficient energy reserves tospawn again.

Why Sheefish?Sheefish are one of the most importantfood fishes in Northwest AlaskasKotzebue region: they are caught andused year-round for subsistence inKotzebue, Noorvik, Kiana, Ambler,Kobuk, Shungnak, Selawik, and otherregional villages. Snapshot estimatesof regional subsistence harvests are10,00020,000 fish annually.

Sometimes referred to as the Tarponof the North, sheefish are also a muchsought-after trophy sportfish due to

their large size and fighting spirit.Sport harvest in Northwest Alaskaaveraged 1,000 sheefish annuallyfrom 2001-2010. Between 1967-2004,commercial harvests in the Kotzebueregion winter fishery have variedwidely from 19 to 4,000 fish annually.

Sheefish from the Selawik and KobukRivers make up these mixed stocksubsistence, commercial, and sportfisheries.

Below: A mature Selawik River female is released b

Service crew member Bill Carter. USFWS

Adult males caught in the Selawik River typically range fro2-3 feet in length and weigh 6-17 pounds. Females are largreaching lengths of nearly 4 feet and weighing 11-22 pound

Selawik Sheefish FeatuMurky Future in a Changing Climate?

Selawik NWR

Did you know? Sheefish were identified by Congressas a species of interest in the Selawik NationalWildlife Refuge (encompasses over 2 million acres).

In spring, mature sheefish begin aprolonged migration up the SelawikRiver. Nonspawning adults andimmature sheefish remain in the lowriver system and estuary. By lateSeptember/early October, would-bespawners have congregated. Theybroadcast their eggs and milt overgravelly areas before ice-up andimmediately migrate downstream ttheir overwintering grounds.Meanwhile, fertilized eggs settleinto the spaces between gravels to

mature. Hatching is believed to occuin late winter or spring and larvaeare carried downstream with springfloods.

Murky Waters?In the spring of 2004, a large area ofthawed permafrost slid and carriedtundra and sediment into the normaclear Selawik River approximately river miles upstream of the sheefishspawning grounds.

FeatuScientificname:Stenodusleucichthys

Othernames:Sii(Inupiaq),Inconnu


8/20

8 l Spring 2013

The size of this thaw slump hascontinued to grow each year, resulting

in large quantities of silt eroding intothe river and creating highly turbidwater in the summer months. Attimes, turbidity from the slump hasextended over 100 miles downstream.When freezing temperatures resumein fall, the slump emits less sedimentand water clarity improves.

The impact to the Selawik Riveraquatic community is unknown.Research in other areas has shownnegative impacts from the silting ofspawning habitat, especially for fish

species that require gravel substrates.One concern for Selawik sheefish isthat silt entering the river from theslump may fill in the spaces betweenstreambed gravels that developingeggs need to overwinter successfully.

The Question: Is the silt input fromthe slump impacting the SelawikRiver sheefish population?

MethodsGiven logistical challenges of samplingjuvenile sheefish, the best way to

begin answering this question was toassess the age structure of adult malespawners at the Selawik spawninggrounds and estimate total spawnerabundance.

Collecting age samplesAfter arriving at the Selawikpopulations spawning grounds (anadventure in itself, see page 10), acrew consisting of Selawik residentsand Service technicians/biologistscatch adult sheefish with rod andreel. The fish are reeled in quickly

and sex is determined by externalcharacteristics. Female sheefish are

immediately released unless mortallyhooked. Males are weighed, measured,

then dispatched prior to otolith (innerear bone) extraction for ageing. Theirfillets are hung to dry (protected frompredators by an electric fence) andtransported to the Selawik communityfor subsistence purposes.

For statistical purposes it is critical toobtain otoliths from 200 male sheefishper year, for three years, to helpdocument the slumps impact on futurespawners whose age coincided with itsinception and silt deposition over time.

Since 2004, thawing permafrost has resulted inmore than 760,000 cubic yards of sediment/tundraentering the Selawik River. Thats enough dirt tofill the Rose Bowl stadium almost two times. Or,roughly the same volume of dirt contained in 38,000loads from a 20 cubic yard dumptruck!

Did you know? During the last 50 years, Alaska hasseen some of the most rapid warming on earth. Impactsalready being documented include thawing permafrost,eroding shorelines, and loss of sea ice.

SELAWIK RIVERTHAW SLUMP (2007)

Long-lived!Sheefish, the largest member of the whitefish sub-family, donttypically mature until 8-12 years old. Capable of living for 30+years, the oldest Selawik River sheefish aged to date was 41!

Magnified cross section of a sheefish otolith (innebone). Ageing fish using otoliths is similar to ageintree by counting its rings. Inset: Two otoliths frommale sheefish (actual size).

Counting SheefishAfter age sampling, the crew move

their camp just below the spawningarea, deploys an imaging sonar unit(much like a doctors ultrasound) inthe river, and waits for the sheefishthat have spawned to head backdownstream to the wintering grounFish are digitally recorded as theypass the sonar unit 24 hours/day forabout two weeks and then countedback at the Fairbanks Field Office.

200420122009

~900 feet

flow

At times, the Selawik River is very turbid from

increased slump thawing.Steve Hildebrand/USFWS


Featur


9/20

Preliminary Results & Next StepsIn 2011, otoliths from 193 males andseven females were collected. Thesefish ranged in age from 9-30 yearswith an average was 19.6 years.Spawner abundance was estimatedat approximately 21,000 fish with thesonar. In 2012, otoliths were collectedfrom 196 males and four females.Analysis of data from the 2012 fieldseason is underway. The next twoyears of data collection for this study,and a complimentary set of age databeing collected in cooperation with theAlaska Department of Fish and Gameon the Kobuk River, will help bringclarity to this issue. Stay tuned!

This project is funded through theFederal Subsistence ManagementProgram, Fisheries ResourceMonitoring Program.

Community Involvement and BenefitsDuring development of the SelawikSheefish study plan, Fisheries staffconsulted directly with the NativeVillage of Selawik. They attendedcouncil meetings and presentedhow the project sought to addresschanges in the Selawik River thatwere of concern to Selawik residents,the Fairbanks Field Office, and theSelawik National Wildlife Refuge.

Staff explained to communitymembers that obtaining otolithsfrom male sheefish had the majordisadvantage of being lethal to the fishdue to their long lifespan, non-lethal

methods like scale analysis cannot beused to accurately age sheefish). Butadvantages of the method includedaccurate ageing and that meat fromthese fish would in fact be savedand given to Selawik residents. TheSelawik Village council considered thestudys implications for this importantsubsistence resource and approvedthe project.

9 l Spring 2013

Crew member Dan Prince weighs a male sheefishK.Mueller/USFWS

Project lead Ray Hander takes a lengthmeasurement. K.Mueller/USFWS

Sheefish fillets that have been drying on fish racksare boated downriver to the Native Village ofSelawik for subsistence purposes. K.Mueller/USFWS

Bottom Left: Selawik resident and crewmember Patrick Foster reels in a sheefish. DanPrince/USFWS


FeatuFairbanks Fish & Wildlife Field Office

Featu

Learn more about our Alaska Fisheries Program!http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/fish/index.htm


10/20

UniquelyAlaska

10 l Spring 2013

Essential camping items include zero degreesleeping bags, sleeping pads, and breathable/fire-resistant wall tents for cooking and dryingour clothes. D.Prince/USFWS

The Selawik River. K.Mueller/USFWS

Transferring gear at the Selawik airport.K.Mueller/USFWS

Almost to upper campsite. K.Mueller/USFWS

LOGISTICSLike most of Alaskas river systems, the Selawik is not accessible by road. Itmeanders from its origins in the Purcell Mountains through the heart of SelawikNational Wildlife Refuge in an extremely remote area of Northwestern Alaska.Snowmachine, airplane, and boat are the only viable transportation options.

Getting There: Advanced planning, meticulous organization, and partnerships are the key to all remotefield projects. With the arrival of our fisheries crew in Kotzebue, it takes well over a week to organize anmove fuel and gear to our upper campsite (~150 river miles upriver from the Native Village of Selawik).It takes roughly seven hours to reach the uppermost campsite by boat and then roughly a day to set upcamp. Refuge staff provide critical support including boats, aircraft, daily safety contacts, and lodging.We contract with the Native Village of Selawik for sampling assistance, transportation of suppliesupriver, and transportation of sheefish meat back to the community.

Self-Sufficiency: In September and October, temperatures can range from 5 to 50F with anycombination of rain or snow so we must always be ready to take on the elements. We must also beprepared for wildlife encounters (e.g., grizzly bears and moose), flooding, and boat/equipment repair.

Food and Field Gear:We air freight over a

ton of field gear and groceries from the Refugeheadquarters in Kotzebue to Selawik. Gear ismoved by ATV from the airport to Refuge andSelawik contract boats. We need enough food andcooking fuel to feed 3-8 people for 4-6 weeks.

Water:We draw water from the river via a solarpowered pump. We then filtered it and store it incontainers at camp.

Shelter:Includes the Selawik National Wildlife

Refuge bunkhouse in Kotzebue, a Refuge cabin 60miles upriver from Selawik, and tents beyond that.

Fuel:Approximately 850 gallons are requiredto safely and efficiently transport our crew andgear between the Village of Selawik and severalsheefish sampling sites (fuel in Selawik is $7/gal).

Waste Management:All non-burnable waste isback-hauled to Selawik for proper disposal.


11/20


12/20


13/20

13 l Spring 2013

While there continues to be muchdebate about the reason(s) for thedeclines, it is known that habitatloss and fragmentation associated inpart with urbanization is a primarydriver in the decline of freshwater fishnationally. Urbanization and relatedstressors are at play in the Mat-Su

Basin, particularly in the Palmer-Wasilla core area.

For example, increased roadconstruction typical of urban growthoften results in poor fish passagewhere roads cross streams. Of thenearly 700 road-stream crossings thathave been surveyed in the Boroughas of 2012, at least 65% present full orpartial barriers between salmon andtheir spawning/nursery habitats.

Now home to over 90,000 people,the Boroughs human populationhas nearly doubled in the past 20years. Its Alaskas fastest growingregion and one of the fastest growingcommunities in the country. Onescenario in the Boroughs build-out projections anticipates 400,000residents by 2060!

New roads, homes, schools, soccerfields, and shopping centers signal anew chapter for this region. Mat-Susincreasing population will continue toput pressure on the regions salmonand water quality, requiring strategicactions to protect important spawningand rearing habitat for salmon.

Salmon: Catalyst for ConservationThe Anchorage Field Office, inpartnership with the AlaskaDepartment of Fish and Game(ADFG), The Nature Conservancy(TNC), and others, have invested inconservation work in Mat-Su for manyyears. However, until very recentlythere was very little capacity and nocoordinated effort to strategicallyconserve (and, where needed, restore)salmon habitat here.

That changed with the formation ofthe National Fish Habitat Partnership(NFHP) in 2006. With it, the Service,ADFG, and TNC saw the opportunityto leverage past efforts and catalyzediverse interests around salmonandthe conservation of their habitatwith formation of the Mat-Su BasinSalmon Habitat Partnership.


Featur

People in Alaska refer to the Palmer-Wasilla core area as theMat-Su Valley or, simply, the Valley. Here, traffic travels easton the Parks Highway through the City of Wasilla. K.Mueller/USFWS

In 2008 the Mat-Su Basin SalmoHabitat Partnershipwas bornt

first of three Alaska partnershipsto be formally recognized by the

National Fish Habitat Partnership(NFHP) Board of Directors to date aone of the first designated nationa

Its visionthriving fish, healthy

habitats, and vital communities inthe Mat-Su Basinembraces NFHmission to protect, restore, and

enhance the nations fish and aquacommunities through partnerships

www.matsusalmon.org


14/20

The Partnership then set measurableobjectives to address those threatsand identified what specific actionswould help meet the objectives andlead to the conservation of salmon andpriority habitats.

Conservation DesignGathering baseline data about fishhabitat use and developing toolsto help guide project selection areimportant prerequisites to prioritizingon-the-ground projects. To thisend, partners have invested energyinto inventorying and mappingfish distribution and habitat use invulnerable areas. Land use planningprojections and broader threatsassessments likewise inform project

design and delivery. These upfront

14 l Spring 2013

Strategic Habitat ConservationA vast landscape and incompleteinformation about salmon habitatdistribution begs the question: Wherewill limited resources have the biggestimpact on the conservation of salmonin the Mat-Su Basin?

To be strategic, the Partnershipdeveloped a Strategic Action Planusing TNCs Conservation ActionPlanning (CAP) process. CAP includeselements similar to the ServicesStrategic Habitat Conservation (SHC)business model:

Biological PlanningFirst, the Partnership identified theirpriorities: all five species of Pacificsalmon and the coarse landscapefeatures (e.g., lowlands west of theSusitna River) that support theecological processes, landforms, andvegetation that interact to shapesalmon habitat.

Next, the Partnership identified whatstressors had the greatest potential tonegatively impact or pose a threat tosalmon and their habitat in the basin.

The Mat-Su Partnership currentlyfocuses on addressing these threats

to salmon and their habitat:n alteration of riparian areasn filling of wetlandsn impervious surfaces (e.g. parking lots)n stormwater runoffn septic systemsn poor fish passage at roadsn loss/alteration of water flow/volumen northern pike

Partnership actions moving theneedle towards conserving priorityspecies and habitats:n voluntary conservation easementsn fitting road-stream crossings with

channel-spanning structuresn re-vegetating denuded riparian areas

n submitting nominations to the Statesanadromous waters catalogn tracking fish populations to pinpoint

key habitats for conservation

Conservation Design Fish:55 milimeter long juvenile coho salm

Why design road-streamcrossings to pass juvenile coho

uThis low performance swimmerwouldnt win any sprinting, endurancor jumping contests against adultsalmon or resident char!

uOf all the salmon, coho spend thelongest time in freshwater asjuveniles and use nearly all accessibwaterbodies in a watershed beforemigrating to sea.

The connectivity needs for other fisare better met if restoration design

meet the needs of juvenile coho.

K.Mue

ller/USFWS

(ACTUAL SIZE)


Featu

ChumsalmoninSwiftwaterCreek,Wasilla.K.Mueller/USFWS

investments really pay off when itcomes time to choose where to putprojects on-the-ground. Habitatrestoration projects are then desigand implemented using acceptedstate-of-the-practice techniques.

Conservation DeliveryThe beauty of a formal partnershiplike this lies in its ability to leveragthe resources of its many partners(like staff time and expertise, fundand equipment). Partners have, forexample, mapped and assessed theentirecurrent universe of road-strcrossing structures in Mat-Su (~70and removed 81 fish passage barriein the past decade.


15/20

15 l Spring 2013

News BriefThe Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW)Programcelebrated its 25thNationalAnniversary in 2012. The Alaska PFW Program& Coastal Program 2012-2016 strategicplansare now online: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/restoration/index.htm

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazardesignated Alaskas Kenai Riverto be part ofpart of Americas Great Outdoors RiversInitiativein 2012

The childrens TV show

Aqua KidsshadowedService employees &partners last July/August.Alaska episodes beganairing in early 2013 and areavailable on YouTube andVimeo.

The Nature Conservancys Corinne Smith wasawarded NFHPsScientific Achievement Awardat the 2012 Mat-Su Salmon Science andConservation Symposium in November 2012.

The Mat-Su Valley Coastal ConservationPartnership Team received the 2012 CoastalAmerica National Partnership AwardinFebruary 2013 for its collaborative efforts toconserve coastal habitats.

Invasive aquatic plants in the genus Elodeahave been confirmed in 15 Alaska waterbodiesas of early 2013.

Our Anchorage and KenaiField Offices welcomed twoStudent Conservation

Association interns,Adriana Amaya (left) and BenSchubert, in January 2013.

Visit our youtube channel to see how Alaskastaff connected people with nature andengaged Alaskas youth in the Great Outdoorsin 2012: http://youtube/rtBt3hhRI0o

The Service and ADFG co-hosted a free two-dayfish passage workshopin Anchoragein March 2013 with over 40 attendees.Inquire with Katrina Mueller about upcomingworkshops: [email protected]/ (907)786-3637.

The Kenai Peninsula Fish HabitatPartnershipheld a two-day sciencesymposium and introduced their newConservation Action Plan in April 2013.

Momentum is building to create a coalitionof property owners, businesses, NGOs andgovernments to protect, enhance, and benefrom the Chena River. The 2013 Chena RivWatershed Summittook place May 1st.

K-12 Teachers/Students:entries for Wildlife Forever

State-Fish Art Contestardue March 31st annually.http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/fish/contest_art.h

Our Juneau Field Offices Habitat RestoratioProgram will be receiving an Alaska Chaptethe American Society of Landscape ArchiteGreenBelt Award in mid-May 2013.

2013Weed Smackdownevents arescheduled for June 8 in Anchorage, June 1Fairbanks, and June 29 in Homer!

Tracking Success and AdaptingSo, how do we know if a conservationaction has the intended positiveimpact? State-of-the-practice habitatrestoration techniques mimic naturalconditions. For example, habitat underroads is engineered to simulate thestreams natural channel and, as such,

should provide comparable swimmingconditions. Presence of fish upstreamafter project completion furtherconfirms adequate passage and projectsuccess.

The Partnership adapts as newinformation is gathered. To this end,the Partnership sponsors an annualSalmon Science and ConservationSymposium with 100+ attendees.Here partners share new informationabout salmon and their habitat.Presentations span a wide range of

topics, from fish passage to greeninfrastructure planning.

The Partnership is also updatingits Strategic Action Plan to reflectchanges in the status of salmonpopulations and their habitats, andto document achievements towardplan goals over the last five years.The updated plan will addressnew stressors including invasive

species, climate change, large scaledevelopment projects, and riparianhabitat alteration from all-terrainvehicles.

The whole is greater than the sumof its parts! In the last six years, withsubstantial support from the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, the Partnershiphas invested and leveraged severalmillion dollars from federal andnon-federal sources into actionsbenefiting salmon and their habitat.These investments have resulted

in partnership recognition for goodscience and on-the-ground results. ThePartnership and its members have

received multiple awards includingthe 2008 U.S. Department of theInterior Cooperative ConservationAward, NFHPs 2012 ScientificAchievement Award, and the 2012Coastal America Partnership Award

The Partnership has also catalyzedestablishment of a Great Land Truspresence in Mat-Su and a Boroughcommitment to share the costs of fispassage improvement projects.

While significant progress is beingmade, some salmon stocks are stillnot meeting the States escapementgoals. This underscores the challengthe Partnership and others havein identifying and addressing theroot cause(s) for low returns. It also

reinforces the importance of theMat-Su Partnership and the nationanetwork of Fish Habitat Partnershi


Featur

Learn more about our Habitat Conservation Partnerships Programs!http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/restoration/index.htm


16/20

For over a decade, our Kenai Office has been pioneering cutting-edge video technology to improve fisheries management decisions.Incorporating underwater video systems into monitoring and

assessment projects at weirs has become an important tool

allowing resource managers to do more with less.

Spotlight on Technology

n fish passage chute and weirn underwater video camera and lights mounted in a sealed camera box filled with clear water.n digital video recorder with motion detection softwaren microwave equipment to transmit video signals from remote locationsn solar modules and thermoelectric generators for power generationn willing landowner and partners!

VIDEO SYSTEM COMPONENTS & OPERATIO

A resistance board weir consists ofan array of rectangular panels madeof evenly spaced PVC pickets aligned

parallel to the direction of flow. Theupstream end of each panel is hinged toa rail that is anchored to the substrateand the downstream end of the panel islifted above the surface by a resistanceboard that planes upward in flowingwater. When all components are installed,migrating fish are channeled through anarrow passage chute in front of the videobox. Visit our USFWS Alaska YouTubechannel to see a weir being constructed!

Significant cost savings

Improved accuracy

Reduced carbon footprint

Footage of fish passing through the chute can be compressed using motion detectionsoftware. Staff can review 24 hours of fish passage in roughly 2.5 hours.

Microwaving video signals from multiple remote locations to one receiving point reducespower requirements at remote sites and minimizes travel to each location.

Artificial lighting makes recording of fish migrations 24 hours a day, seven days a weekpossible (even during spring run-off or rain events that increase water turbidity). Thistranslates into more accurate escapement estimates and monitoring of previouslyundocumented populations (e.g., steelhead trout in the Funny River).

Clear footage lets us determine sex ratios for each species, or the contributions of hatchery and wild salmon without handling the fish.Better for fish

Kentaro Yasui

Kenai Fish & Wildlife Field Office

16 l Spring 2013


17/20

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Alaska (Region 7

Land Use Planning & SalmonSandwiched between rugged coastal mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Southeast Alaskaincluding Alaskas StateCapital and second largest city (Juneau)is accessible only by air or sea.

If you travel 10 miles northwest from downtown Juneau youll find yourself in the Auke Lake watershed, home to

one of only three sockeye salmon populations accessible to visitors from the Juneau road system. Prior to the mid-1970s, an annual average of more than 7,000 sockeyes returned to this watershed to spawn. Since the 1980s, adultreturns have been stable, but at reduced levels.

The Auke Lake telemetry project buildson initial assessments conducted bythe National Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS) to:

n identify and map essential sockeyestaging and spawning habitat within

Auke lake and its tributaries, and

n identify and document sockeyespawning distribution and habitat usethroughout the entire watershed.

2012 data show that returning adultsused lake habitat up to 45 days beforespawning. Tagged sockeye weredocumented using four discrete staginglocations along the west and northshores. Spawning was documentedin both the lake and a previouslyundocumented inlet stream. High usehabitatssome in close proximity toareas of proposed developmentwereidentified and mapped. This studywill continue in the summer of 2013.Collaborators include NMFS and theUniversity of Alaska, Southeast withsupport from the Alaska SustainableSalmon Fund.

Right: GPS locations of radiotagged sockeye salmon inAuke Lake and inlet streams in 2012.

17 l Spring 2013

The Auke Lake shoreline is believed to provide important spawningand staging habitat for sockeye salmon. Today, approximately 50% ofAuke Lakes shoreline has been developed.

To avoid further reduction in the capacity of Auke Lake watershed toprovide quality habitat for locally-important sockeye salmon, our JuneauField Office first partnered with the Juneau Watershed Partnership tocomplete the Auke Lake Watershed Assessment and Watershed Action

Plan. In 2012, we began tracking the habitat use and movements of adultsockeye salmon to document the importance of Auke Lake spawningand staging areas using radio telemetry. In combination, the outcomesof these projects will inform future land use planning decisions aboutwhat habitats are most important to protect and restore as differentdevelopment scenarios are considered.

Juneau Field Office staff track radiotagged adsockeye salmon in Auke Lake. James Ray/USFW

Auke Lake

MendenhallGlacier

Auke Lake

ShoreZone

Juneau Fish & Wildlife Field Office


18/20

In 2012, our Fairbanks office partnered with the Tanana Valley Watershed Association for year two of a citizen scienceproject on the Chena River. This project seeks to build community awareness and stewardship of the River and its fishcommunity. Participating youth and families use minnow traps to sample juvenile anadromous and resident fish in differentsections of the River from May through October. Captured fish are identified to species, tallied, and released. Families reportthe best part of the project is getting outside each week and seeing children learn how to handle fish.

TVWA

Reconnecting with theChena River

The 100 mile long Chena River flows through the heart of Fairbanks near its confluence with the Tanana Rivermajor tributary to Yukon River). Roughly the combined size of Maryland and New Jersey, the land area draineby the Chena River is home to approximately 100,000 people todaymaking it the most heavily-populated andeveloped area in northern Alaska.

K.Mueller/USFWS

In the early 1900s, Fairbanksresidents valued the Chena primarilyas a transportation corridor for sternwheelers and water source for goldmining operations. However, it alsosupports incredible fisheries. ChenaRiver Chinook salmon make up thesecond-largest annual run in U.S.waters of the Yukon River. Thisstock is important to subsistence and

commercial users in the lower YukonRiver and supports one of the fewroad-accessible salmon sport fisheriesin interior Alaska. Today, river- andfishing-related tourism and recreationsupported by the Chena providesubstantial benefits to visitors andresidents alike.

To help conserve the river for yearsto come and foster stewardship ofits fisheries, our Fairbanks FieldOffice has been teaming up withlocal businesses, Chena riverfront

landowners, and a variety of otherpartners (e.g., Fairbanks Soil andWater Conservation District, AlaskaDepartments of Fish and Game/Natural Resources, Army Corps ofEngineers, and Wounded Warriors).

FairbanksFish & Wildlife Field Office

FOSTERINGSTEWARDSHIP

18 l Spring 2013

USFWS


19/20

Riverboat Discovery, a family-owned and operated business, provides boat tours ofthe Chena River and educates its passengers about the rivers history and its valueto early settlers. Unfortunately, the Discoverys use of thrusters for docking wascausing erosion at its mooring site (left).

With input and funding support from our Fairbanks Field Office, the owners electedto use a fish-friendly alternative to traditional metal sheet piling to prevent furthererosion: locally acquired spruce tree root wads (left). Root wads not only preventerosion from the thrusters, but also reduce winter ice scour and provide habitat forjuvenile Chinook salmon and other riverine species. Interpretive signs will educate

visitors about the value of their fish-friendly choice and the importance of conserviChena Rivers Chinook salmon fishery.

W S

USFWS

USFWS

Left: Bioengineering is a great alternative to traditional bank stabilization techniquesthat use metal sheet piling or riprap. Partially submerged root wads buried deep inthe bank address erosion issues and also provide great habitat for juvenile fish likeChinook salmon (below).

19 l Spring 2013

Originally a pump station which provided water forhydraulic mining operations near town, FairbanksPump House Restaurant was facing an eroding bankjust upstream from its summertime deck. Our Fairbanksoffice partnered with the landowner to develop anerosion control plan that incorporated natural bankstabilization techniques. Enhancing the Chenas nativestreamside vegetation not only reduces erosion, butalso benefits juvenile salmon and other native fish andretains the customers visual connection to the river.

Vegetated banks provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and benefit landowby preventing land loss in a way thats aesthetically-plea

USFWS/K.Mueller

PREVENTINGEROSION

FairbanksFish & Wildlife Field Office


20/20

ALASKA FISH & FISHERIES: Your Point of View!Help celebrate and build appreciation for Alaskas fish by sharing your fish photos! In particular, we are lookingfor photos that capture seasonal behaviors/habitats/life cycle stages of fish; fish underwater/held partiallysubmerged; and Alaskas unique fisheries. Contact Katrina Mueller ([email protected]/ (907) 786-3637)or visit our Fish From Your Point of View webpage for details: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/fish/contest_photo

Curious Rock Greenling. Stephen Jewett/2012 submission

Dip netters at the mouth of the Kasilof River.Caz VanDevere/2012 submission

Keeping Subsistence Alive Through our Children.Rae Belle Whitcomb/2011 submission

Kenai River sockeyes.Kentaro Yasui/2011 submission

Deck Boss. John Matzick/2012 submission

Alaska Fisheries and Habitat

Documents

Transcript of Alaska Fisheries and Habitat