Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Management Project
Thank you for your interest in the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Management Project.
If you are interested in volunteering for this project please contact AJ Hoffman or Sierra Doherty at 907-745-1662.
This project will identify and control invasive plant species which have potential to adversely affect anadromous waters in the Palmer and Upper Susitna Soil and Water Conservation District regions. Water bodies in this project include Moose Creek, Upper and Lower Kroto Creek, Trapper Creek, as well as the Knik River and its tributaries of Friday Creek, Metal Creek, Goat Creek, Hunter Creek, and Jim Creek. These rivers and creeks are primary pathways for several salmon species. In addition, all of the identified streams have recorded impacts from human and/or ATV use. The invasive plants surveyed will include P. arundinacea, M. alba, L. salicaria, E. nuttallii, and E. canadensis because of their ability to invade stream beds and alter soil hydrology, constrict waterways, and alter salmon habitat. Based on the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts (AACD), P. arundinacea also “forms dense, persistent, monotypic stands in wetlands that exclude and displace other plants and may also slow stream flow, eliminating the scouring action needed to maintain the gravel river bottoms essential for salmon reproduction.” P. arundinacea was originally used as a foraging crop for agricultural fields in the Matanuska-Susitna region. It has extremely aggressive qualities and has the potential to be transported along anadromous streams by several vectors including humans, ATVs, boats, and animals.
This project will concentrate on surveying and controlling P. arundinacea, M. alba, L. salicaria, E. nuttallii, and E. canadensis in salmon habitats in the Matanuska-Susitna region. After a complete survey is conducted on a waterway, a Prevention, Control, and Restoration Plan will be developed to address revegetation efforts. The long-term restoration goal is to sustain the recovery and regeneration of native plant communities in salmon habitats including native shrubs, trees, and herbaceous sedges. The Prevention, Control, and Restoration Plan will be executed over the course of three years.
Please click on the links below to view video from the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Restoration Project:
