~Restoration
Completed~
Silver
Salmon Creek on
Ninilchik Native Lands, AK
Summer
2004
Above: Completed restoration Below: Sandpiper
enjoying new wetland
Upstream
Prior |
Downstream
Prior |
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Upstream
Post |
Downstream
Post |
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By
all measures, the first restoration work that KWF decided to undertake
has resulted in a huge success! While the work is still fresh
and we need to conduct long term monitoring to ensure that the
approach taken at Silver Salmon Creek is good in the long run,
there is no doubt about the benefits in the short run. Juvenile
salmonids that couldn't rest and feed in that section of the stream
are now numerous. Adult Chinook salmon were spawning in this reach
while we were still planting the last of the vegetation. More
important than the direct habitat improvements seen in the photos
below, juvenile Kings and Silvers now have access to more than
12 miles of habitat that they previously could not access because
of high water velocities cased first by the undersized culvert
and then by the flood that washed Oilwell Road into this stream.
Most importantly is the recognition that there are many more important
fish habitat restoration needs on the Kenai Peninsula along with
the recognition of more conservation value in restoring miles
of habitat by reconnected fish passage blockages compared to other
restoration projects. We are very pleased that our efforts received
a national award for this project and we would like to extend
our thanks to all the partners involved.
2004
Coastal America
Partnership Award
The
Silver Salmon Creek Restoration Team received a 2004 Coastal
America Partnership Award for the Team’s efforts to
restore and protect coastal environments.
This award emphasizes the significance of our restoration
accomplishments and our contribution to the objectives of
Coastal America. The award recognizes the Team’s outstanding
efforts towards fish passage restoration and the benefits
of a public/private partnership. |
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Restoration
Partners
Kenai Watershed Forum
Ninilchik
Traditional Council
US
Fish & Wildlife Service
The Nature Conservancy of AK
Kenai Peninsula Borough
NOAA
Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association
AK Dept of Fish and Game
Department of Natural Resources
Community and Economic Development
Youth Restoration Corps
NC Machinery
Moore’s Landscaping
Christopher Roach - Engineering
THANK
YOU!
