Moose Creek Fish Population Restoration Project

Chickaloon Village Traditional Council

FRP SF2010-200

FTP 10A-0150

2010 Project Report

January 31, 2011

Purpose

The Chickaloon Village Traditional Council wishes to implement a salmon stock reintroduction/enhancement project on Moose Creek (Anadromous Waters Catalog Number 247-50-10220-2085) near Palmer, Alaska. Targeted species is Chinook salmon.

History

During the coal boom of the 1920’s, Moose Creek’s alignment was straightened to allow a railroad spur-line to be built along the creek within the floodplain (a hand-drawn railroad alignment map from 1927 confirms the creek was straightened). The channel banks were diked sufficiently to prevent channel migration (in some areas the dikes still remain more than 80 years later) and the creek became swift, steep and narrow. These alterations to the creek disabled the natural stream processes of flood-control and enabled hydraulic forces to erode the stream channel bed into bedrock waterfalls at several locations. Over time these waterfalls became impassable to fish migrating upstream. Though the railroad spur along Moose Creek was abandoned in the 1940’s, fish passage remained blocked until restoration efforts occurred in the 2000’s.

The Chickaloon Village Traditional Council (Chickaloon Village), along with state and federal agencies, restored fish passage on Moose Creek by bypassing the waterfall barriers and restoring some meander bends to the creek. Though the railroad construction and maintenance actions removed many ecological attributes of the creek, such as rearing habitat, spawning gravels, and floodplain connectivity, it was determined that restoring fish passage would significantly enhance the creek’s ability to support large numbers of pacific salmon by restoring access to more than 5 miles of historic spawning and rearing habitats. Traditional Ecological Knowledge fueled this project with information on 1) the historical abundance of salmon in Moose Creek, 2) reports that all five species of Alaskan salmon used the creek annually, and 3) reports that the creek was the most important subsistence fishery for the Chickaloon Tribe.

Phase 1 of the restoration efforts successfully realigned a historic meander bend around the largest and completely impassable waterfall(10-12 feet)on Moose Creek. The waterfall was created where the railroad straightened the creek by blasting a channel through a canyon ridge. Restoration groundwork included excavating 1850 feet of historic streambed, following an original meander bend, and directing the creek into that channel. In-stream structures such as j-hook vanes and cross-vane weirs were used to provide creek stability, prevent bank erosion and increase habitat diversity. Channel and floodplain dimensions were developed to emulate a natural stream design, as determined from reference reaches within the creek. Willows, grasses, and other native riparian species were planted on the floodplain to “speed-up” the natural re-vegetation process.

Phase 2 of the Moose Creek restoration efforts re-aligned/opened another historic meander bend around two partial-barrier bedrock waterfalls and a bedrock channel constriction. Groundwork included constructing 1350 feet of channel in the historic streambed and appropriate floodplains, and then routing the creek into the new channel. In-stream structures such as j-hook vanes and engineered log jams were created to enhance habitat and provide bank stability. The large floodplain was carpeted with approximately 4 inches of topsoil, then covered with a substantial amount of woody debris scattered to increase roughness, and finally re-vegetated with felt-leaf willows, a light dispersal of grass seed, and numerous local indigenous transplants.

In August 2006, an approximately 88-year flood occurred in Moose Creek. The creek experienced significant geomorphic changes and created some new channels while abandoning other channels. It is estimated that the 2006 brood year of remnant Chinook salmon were significantly disturbed due to hydraulic actions during the flood that likely increased egg mortality. During the flood, egg mortality may have occurred by desiccation when areas of streambed were abandoned, concussion from excessive bed-material movement, or by lack of protection when eggs were swept out of their redds by the surge of water pressure. Later spawning Chum and coho salmon were observed in the creek in late August and September 2006 and are presumed to have most of their brood year still intact.

In October 2006, the Alaska Railroad implemented a restoration project at the mouth of Moose Creek. They removed in-stream pilings and bridge abutments that were installed by the railroad around 1918. These abutments and pilings constricted Moose Creek to a narrow, high-banked channel and the pilings accumulated woody-debris creating difficult migration barriers. In addition, the wood material used for the pilings and abutments was soaked in creosote to prevent decay. The restoration was completed and the disrupted floodplain was revegetated with dormant willow cuttings and a perennial/annual grass seed mix.

Salmon Abundance on Moose Creek

Both anadromous and resident fish use Moose Creek (ADFG 1986). Oral history provided by Chickaloon Tribe Elders state that five species of Pacific salmon spawned throughout Moose Creek. It further testifies to a historic abundance of these salmon, sufficient to feed members of the Tribe as well as the miners of coal camps in the 1910’s and 1920’s. Currently, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Catalog of Waters Imporatant for the Spawning, Rearing or Migration of Anadromous Fishes documents only two species of anadromous salmonids in Moose Creek: coho or silver (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chinook or king (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

In August 2003, adult Chinook carcasses were observed within a half-mile below the largest waterfall on Moose Creek at river mile 3.1.

In 2004, the Chickaloon Village conducted three fish surveys: 1) a count of adult salmon seen during a foot survey in July, 2) a count of adult salmon observed during a foot survey in September, and 3) juvenile salmon sampled with Gee (minnow) traps.

No adult or juvenile salmon were observed or trapped above the largest waterfall at river mile 3.1 of Moose Creek. In July 2004, a total of 590 adult Chinook salmon were counted between the falls and the mouth of Moose Creek. In August 2004, multiple pairs of adult chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) were surveyed in the lower mile of the creek. On September 26, a total of 216 adult coho salmon were counted between the falls and the mouth. Juvenile Chinook and coho salmon were trapped in Moose Creek about a quarter-mile downstream of the largest waterfall.

In 2005, after Phase 1 of the Moose Creek restoration project was completed, salmon spawning surveys were conducted by Chickaloon Village with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From July 26-28, 2005, foot surveys counted 215 Chinook salmon (174 live plus 41 carcasses) between the restoration project (river mile 3.0) and river mile 8.5. Also during these days in July 2005 surveys were conducted at several specific locations known for Chinook concentrations, downstream of the Phase 1 project site. An additional 362 Chinook salmon (including carcasses) were counted in the downstream reach of Moose Creek. These foot surveys were conducted fairly late during the Chinook run due to consistent high water conditions, and the peak of the run may have been missed.

In September 2005, adult coho salmon were observed upstream of the Phase 1 restoration project site, however, a foot survey to enumerate the coho returns on Moose Creek was not conducted in 2005 due to very high water conditions.

In 2006, adult salmon spawning surveys conducted by foot counted 556 Chinook salmon in Moose Creek (three weeks prior to the 88-year flood). In September 2006, foot surveys counted 335 coho salmon, 19 sockeye salmon, and 342 carcasses (some of the carcasses were unidentifiable to species).

In late July 2007, adult salmon spawning surveys conducted by foot counted 523 Chinook salmon in Moose Creek. In late August 2007, foot surveys counted 8 coho salmon, 15 sockeye salmon, and 801 chum salmon, in addition to 204 carcasses.

In late July 2008, adult salmon spawning surveys conducted by foot counted 800 Chinook salmon in Moose Creek. No additional foot surveys were conducted in 2008.

In late July 2009, adult salmon spawning surveys conducted by foot counted 574 Chinook salmon in Moose Creek. No additional foot surveys were conducted in 2009.

In late July 2010, adult salmon spawning surveys conducted by foot counted 205 Chinook salmon in Moose Creek. Additionally, 461 coho salmon were counted on September 22. The cause for the low Chinook numbers is probably associated with the 2006 flood season and loss of redds from returning brood stock during that year.

Purpose

Chickaloon Village, with assistance from Alaska Resource and Economic Development, Inc. (ARED), is proposing to help recover Moose Creek salmon populations through reintroduction/enhancement to sustainable and historic levels. With many miles of new spawning and rearing habitat now available to salmon, population recovery could be effective and beneficial to the system. Natural re-colonization and population increases of salmon in Moose Creek will occur, however it could take decades before the creek’s carrying capacity of salmon will be met or before the creek’s salmon returns are restored to historical numbers. Assisting the salmon re-population process through increased fertility, reconditioning recovered spawning habitat and eyed egg plants into the long-dormant upper reaches of the watershed may strengthen naturally returning salmon numbers to Moose Creek in a much shorter time period. Otolith marking all assisted stocks will provide a means for later assessment of returning adults.

With assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, results of the salmon population restoration project will be studied and evaluated on an annual basis to assess the needs for continued population restoration activities. At a maximum length, the population restoration process will be stopped once the numbers of returning salmon are close to the stream’s carrying capacity, as determined by a Limiting Factor Analysis (LFA).

The long-term project goal is to increase salmon escapement on Moose Creek of the historic species of Pacific salmon found in Alaska to self-sustaining populations that restore the stream ecology to pre-mining conditions.

The short-term project goal is to attempt an increase in salmon escapement and habitat utilization on Moose Creek of Chinook salmon to evaluate population recovery through evaluation and use of moist air incubation, Otolith marking for assessment, and eyed-egg planting to achieve this goal. The moist air incubation technologies eliminate chemical use, dramatically reduce cost and use of high water flows for incubation, Otolith mark 100% of affected stocks at almost no cost, utilize stocks indigenous to the watershed and preserve more of the natural life cycle of the salmon than any other assisted (hatchery) process in use today. These benefits are all valuable to the Tribes culture and to physical responsibility.

Project activities on Moose Creek include: 1) collection of Chinook salmon population data, and 2) habitat evaluation of salmon spawning and rearing habitat quality and quantity, and 3) inception of Chinook salmon population recovery using moist air incubation and eyed-egg planting. Data from population and habitat assessments will assist in managing a sustainable population increase in Moose Creek Chinook salmon. Rehabilitation of the existing in-stream stock will be accomplished by improving the survival rate of salmon in their early developmental life-stages and repopulating underutilized spawning habitat, using moist air incubation and planting eyed-eggs into Moose Creek. This approach will increase egg to fry survival, the highest mortality period during salmon development. (Quinn 2005)

Complimentary and simultaneous objectives include: 1) development of educational opportunities for the local Tribal school and community volunteers, and 2) demonstration of a collaborative model for local citizens, students and governmental agencies to work together in natural resource stewardship activities.

Objectives (outlined)

This project will strive to accomplish the following objectives:

  1. Fisheries reintroduction/restoration.
  2. Investigate the viability of existing under-utilized stream spawning habitat.
  3. Assess methodologies and technologies for reintroducing/restoring and maintaining healthy wild salmon stocks.
  4. Protect genetic integrity and diversity of the ecosystem.
  5. Restore the populations of Chinook salmon to their historic, pre-mining levels or levels sustainable with habitat conditions.
  6. Collect pertinent data to guide recovery efforts. Ongoing data collection will guide the management plan for this watershed.
  1. Partnership building.
  2. Collaboratively develop protocols and techniques to achieve project goals.
  3. Make available and share developed technologies and methodologies with residents of all regions that have needs for developing stewardship capacities for their natural resources.
  4. Foster reciprocal communication and education from people to people, agency to agency and government to government toward the common goal of sharing, managing, monitoring, and sustaining healthy fisheries resources.
  5. Further develop capacity of all participating organizations for effecting measurable co-management through sustainable, knowledgeable, scientifically sound, ecologically minded, and publicly responsive stewardship of our natural salmon resources.
  1. Education
  2. Create an educational opportunity for local students and community volunteers through hands-on participation and classroom activities during the implementation of this project. Key elements include: 1) salmon habitat education, 2) natural resource sustainability education, 3) demonstration of appropriate research activities, 4) application of technology, and 5) monitoring of environmental conditions pertinent to resource management. This project provides a balance between classroom studies and meaningful fieldwork on a resource that the local communities historically relied upon.

This project can provide a springboard for developing future, local resource managers who have been inculcated with the benefit of balancing good science with traditional knowledge. Finally, this project will promote collaboration, to helping state fisheries managers make informed management decisions amidst a climate of declining agency budgets. In addition, community members will participate in stewardship activities with resource managers to promote a culture of trust and appreciation between resource managers and the communities in which they manage.

METHODS

Study Site

The Moose Creek watershed is in southcentral Alaska, approximately 9.5 km (6 mi) north of Palmer, Alaska (Figure 1). The basin is made up of lands owned mostly by the State of Alaska with significant private properties located near the mouth (out-source) of the drainage. The watershed lies within the Talkeetna Mountain Range and runs over the Castle Mountain Fault before connecting into the Matanuska River. Elevations range from about 100 meters (390 feet) to 2,000 meters (6,000 feet) above sea level. The entire watershed encompasses approximately 11,650 ha (28,800 ac). Spruce-Birch-Poplar forest, interspersed with pockets of muskeg comprises the majority of the sub-alpine terrestrial environment. Moose Creek drains into the Matanuska River, which empties into Cook Inlet (saltwater) in approximately 30 km (19 miles). Resident fish species include Dolly Varden char (Salvelinus malma), rainbow trout (O. mykiss), and sculpin (Cottidae spp.). Chinook and coho salmon are the only anadromous fish species in Moose Creek with significant escapements, however pink (O. gorbuscha), chum (O. keta), and sockeye salmon (O. nerka), as well as steelhead trout (O. mykiss) have all been historically fished in the system (unpublished data: Traditional Ecological Knowledge).