Featured Restorations

Slikok Creek (Soldotna)

Daniel's Creek (Nikiski)

Bean Creek
(Cooper Landing)

Leif Creek (Nikiski)

Hidden Creek
(Cooper Landing)

Anchor River 2011
(Anchor Point)
Video

Good Culvert
Above: Completed Restoration

Bad Culvert
Above: Culvert acting as fish barrier

Fish Passage Projects

After a comprehensive strategic planning effort, our restoration focus is entirely dedicated to reconnecting baby salmon nurseries to the ocean. While we don't have many hydroelectric dams on the Kenai Peninsula, we do have a large number of roads with poorly designed or maintained culverts that prevent adults and juvenile salmon from accessing the habitat they need. There are dozens of culverts that need our help and we are discovering more through our Culvert Assessment project. Other organizations are focusing their efforts on direct bank habitat and providing responsible access, and we believe it is important to provide the most amount of restored habitat per dollar spent - and that opportunity is found in restoring fish passage.

Steps taken to complete a fish passage project

  1. Identify priority sites and secure project funding
  2. Measure stream width, depth, and slope
  3. Analyze stream sediment
  4. Work with engineering firm to design plans that simulate the stream width, depth, and slope
  5. Get permits from multiple agencies
  6. Hire construction contractors and order pipe or other structure
  7. Divert stream around existing culvert
  8. Remove old culvert
  9. Replace with new culvert as per permits
  10. Fill ~20% of the new culvert with gravel/sand mixture similar to the natural stream
  11. Close diversion and return water to designed channel in new culvert
  12. Stabilize the road slope with rock and native vegetation
  13. Monitor the results over time

Featured Restorations

Other Completed Restorations

Restorations In Progress