Fieldnotes Blog | Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

28Oct 2016 by Angie Eldred

Now Hiring: Environmental Science Intern for Water Quality Monitoring

Uncategorized

In partnership with the Juneau Watershed Partnership (JWP), the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition seeks an Environmental Science Intern to carry out the collection of water quality monitoring data on the Duck Creek Watershed in Juneau: The JWP in partnership with the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition (SAWC) and the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) will collect data to determine the effectiveness of the Nancy Street wetland in improving water quality conditions on Duck Creek. Since 1994, Duck Creek was listed on the state’s Impaired Waters List for non-attainment of dissolved oxygen (DO), residues/debris, metals (specifically iron), fecal coliform bacteria, and turbidity standards. The Nancy Street wetland is one of many restoration projects completed on Duck Creek to improve water quality, but there has been little to no water quality monitoring to…

29Sep 2016 by Angie Eldred

Localizing the Food System: Developing a Food Hub for SE Alaska

Community Food Sustainability, Community Watershed Stewardship

In Southeast Alaska, improved access to local foods and a more reliable food supply are critical components of self-reliance and community resiliency. Residents of the region's rural communities face high and rising costs of living, a declining state economy, and dependence upon air and water transport for delivery of basic commodities including food and petroleum products. According to a report commissioned by the Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services, 95% of the food purchased in Alaska is imported, often shipped through extensive supply chains arriving by truck, airplane, and barge. The high cost of imported foods and lengthy supply chain make Southeast Alaska communities vulnerable to unforeseen disruptions in larger national food and transport systems, and send local dollars outside of the state. Many communities throughout the region have begun prioritizing…

08Aug 2016 by Angie Eldred

Southeast Alaska Stream Temperature Monitoring Network Seeks to Coordinate Climate Data Collection

Community Watershed Stewardship

SAWC will begin development of a stream temperature monitoring network in Southeast Alaska with funding from the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NPLCC) [caption id="attachment_6071" align="alignnone" width="611"] Scott Harris downloads stream temperature data from a logger placed in Salmon Lake Creek on Baranof Island[/caption] Stream temperatures affect salmonid emergence, growth, and survival in freshwater stages of their lifecycle. In Southeast Alaska, climate change is expected to affect stream temperatures as air temperatures warm and hydrologic patterns shift. Understanding and anticipating these changes will be critical for predicting how salmon species and other aquatic resources be will affected by climate change. Although stream temperature is being monitored in many locations in Southeast Alaska, data collection is not coordinated across entities, and data sources can be difficult to identify and…

29Jul 2016 by Angie Eldred

New Faces at SAWC!

Community Watershed Stewardship

We've had some new faces join the crew at SAWC in the last few months, and would like to give a warm welcome to the staff who are working with the Coalition to advance the informed management of our region's watersheds! Meet the newest members of the SAWC team: Rebecca Bellmore, Science Director [one_third] [/one_third] [two_third_last] Rebecca recently moved to Juneau after almost a decade in the Pacific Northwest. She’s enjoying exploring the many hiking trails, berry picking, and fishing. She’s excited to get to know Southeast Alaska’s communities and work with them to protect and improve watershed health and sustainability. Rebecca has a graduate degree in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences from Washington State University. She has studied stream watershed nutrient cycling in the context of mitigation strategies for the…

19Jul 2016 by Angie Eldred

SAWC Wraps Up the Wrangell Beach Monitoring Program; Petersburg Begins Second Year

Community Watershed Stewardship

The Wrangell Beach Monitoring Program collected its final samples this June, wrapping up 2 years of water quality monitoring for bacterial contamination on high-use recreational beaches near the Wrangell community. [caption id="attachment_6040" align="alignnone" width="611"] City Park beach near Wrangell, AK[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6039" align="alignleft" width="611"] Petersburg Indian Association sampling technicians learn sampling protocol for the program[/caption] The end of June saw the completion of the first year of data collection for the Petersburg Beach Monitoring Program. The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition has received funding through the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) Program to carry out a second year of water quality monitoring at the popular Sandy Beach park near Petersburg. The Petersburg Beach…

07Jun 2016 by Angie Eldred

Resource Managers Build Watershed Restoration Capacity at Regional Workshop

Events, Trainings & Opportunities, Restoration & Mitigation

The 2016 Southeast Alaska Stream and Watershed Restoration Workshop brought together 21 Natural Resource Management Practitioners from across the region and 6 experienced Instructors from the Pacific Northwest for five days of intensive watershed restoration study, discussion, and field visits on Prince of Wales Island this May. Led by a cadre of Restoration Practitioners from The US Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service based in Oregon, the workshop brought new perspectives on watershed restoration goals and objectives, design, implementation, and monitoring. Instructors shared their expertise and experience working on watershed restoration efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest, and facilitated lively discussion around the opportunities, needs, challenges, and successes of restoration in Southeast Alaska. Participants spent a day in the field on POW at a reach of…

24May 2016 by admin

Goodbye from Rachel

Uncategorized

Dear Community of Skagway, I’ve had the pleasure of serving you as the director of the Taiya Inlet Watershed Council for the past 4.5 years. Together we’ve protected riparian areas, built rain gardens, raised salmon from eggs to fry (and released them!), planned the Pullen Creek StreamWalk, held four Pat Moore Memorial Game Fish Derbies, written a Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual, and pulled a lot of invasive plants. My time here in that capacity is almost over, and I’m passing on my position. The Taiya Inlet Watershed Council (TIWC) now sits within the Skagway Traditional Council (STC). My hope is that together TIWC and STC can bring funding and projects to address the community’s environmental concerns and continue to work towards healthy salmon habitat in the Taiya and Skagway…

24May 2016 by admin

Goodbye from Rachel

Uncategorized

Dear Community of Skagway, I’ve had the pleasure of serving you as the director of the Taiya Inlet Watershed Council for the past 4.5 years. Together we’ve protected riparian areas, built rain gardens, raised salmon from eggs to fry (and released them!), planned the Pullen Creek StreamWalk, held four Pat Moore Memorial Game Fish Derbies, written a Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual, and pulled a lot of invasive plants. My time here in that capacity is almost over, and I’m passing on my position. The Taiya Inlet Watershed Council (TIWC) now sits within the Skagway Traditional Council (STC). My hope is that together TIWC and STC can bring funding and projects to address the community’s environmental concerns and continue to work towards healthy salmon habitat in the Taiya and Skagway…

07Apr 2016 by admin

Spring Cleaning

Uncategorized

I found some great volunteers to help me clean out the rain garden. For more information on rain gardens, click on Projects > Current Projects > Rain Gardens in Skagway. Source: Taiya Inlet Watershed Council Blog

07Apr 2016 by admin

Spring Cleaning

Uncategorized

I found some great volunteers to help me clean out the rain garden. For more information on rain gardens, click on Projects > Current Projects > Rain Gardens in Skagway. Source: Taiya Inlet Watershed Council Blog