The mission of the Kenai Watershed Forum is to work together for healthy watersheds on the Kenai Peninsula.

Education & Outreach
Research
Restoration

Current Projects

Daniel's Creek

Mayflower St.

Crooked Creek

Ruby Creek

Tract 3 Road Ninilchik River Tributary

Completed Projects

Slikok Creek

Bean Creek

Leaf Creek

Silver Salmon Creek

Pepper Road Crossing

Mink, Doghouse, & Swan Creeks

Two Moose Creek

contact us
KWF
PO Box 2937
Soldotna, AK 99669
907-260-5449
907-260-5412 fax

email us

What happens when fish can't reach their nurseries?

photo credit US Forest Service

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 beginning in 2002, we have been restoring 1 to 2 culverts each year. 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.

We would like to acknowledge both the Nature Conservancy of Alaska and the AK Department of Fish and Game for helping us best define our strategic restoration efforts.

We urge you to explore the links at the left and see past, current, and future projects.

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


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