Resource Inventories
Kachemak Bay Snow Survey
There are two snow courses in the
Homer area, one with four sites on the
north side of Kachemak Bay and three on
the south side. Homer SWCD conducted
sampling on the sites requested by NRCS
and Alaska Power Authority. This
information verifies Sno-tel information
transmitted by satellite, of particular
importance because the Bradley Lake
Hydroelectric Dam is highly dependant on
snow pack in the watershed above the dam.
Homer SWCD recently constructed a new
site at the headwaters of the Anchor
Rive to help determine the impact of
late snow melt run-off on the rising
temperature of Anchor River.
Colter Creek Juvenile Salmon
Inventory
Partnering with the NFWF, students
have helped Wasilla SWCD staff trap and
count juvenile salmon at various
locations along Colter Creek, above and
below culverts to establish baseline
data on fish populations in the creek
and assess possible impacts of stream
culverts. Chinook salmon were identified
for the first time in that creek. The
project also served as a unique
opportunity for students to gather
useful data on fish populations.
Copper Valley and Valdez Snow
Surveys
Kenny Lake SWCD has assisted NRCS
with monthly snow surveys for the past
four years in the Copper Valley and
Valdez. Because NCS require two people
do the surveys for safety reasons, the
Kenny Lake SWCD district manager is an
essential partner in effectively
gathering the data. The survey sites
include Valdez, the Thompson Pass area
and the Tonsina and Tazlina drainages of
the Copper River.