Student Research Reports

View Research Report

Alaska’s salmon population is hugely invaluable to the economy, culture, and history of those living there. The Yukon River serves as a primary waterway for Chinook salmon through Alaska, but according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, salmon counts are declining and the state is not reaching its minimum biological escapement goals. The Chena River is a vital pathway for these salmon and is the second largest contributor of Chinook Salmon to the Yukon. When juvenile Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha and Chum Salmon O. keta begin migrating out of their spawning gravels in the upper Chena River, they rely heavily upon a combination of cold, oxygen-rich water, woody debris for shade and protection from predators, and food sources. Unfortunately for the salmon, much of the natural riparian buffer along the Chena’s banks has been stripped away or altered in favor of urbanization and infrastructure. This has cut down typical salmon habitat extensively and the problem has been exacerbated considerably by the operation of the Moose Creek Dam, as woody debris gets caught there and cannot make it further downstream. Also, many riverfront property owners have opted to reinforce their banks with rock piles known as riprap, rather than green alternatives such as root wads. In 2013, the Tanana Valley Watershed Association (TVWA) conducted a riparian assessment of both natural and unnatural banks after a UAF student mapped and inventoried them using GIS. The TVWA then used the knowledge gained from that undertaking to inform their Chena Watershed Restoration Action Plan (WRAP) which in turn inspired some locals to switch from riprap to the aforementioned green bank alternatives. Now, we would like to reassess and determine if there has been a positive change in relation to juvenile salmon habitat so as to inform future decisions impacting the watershed.