NRCS Alaska News

March 30, 2007

In This Issue

Construction Complete on Harding Lake WHIP Project

Harding Lake is the state’s largest road-accessible lake north of the Alaska Range and is a major recreation area for the residents of interior Alaska. In the past, the lake provided excellent pike and lake trout fishing. Water levels in the lake have been declining since the late 1970’s and have receded to the point where natural spawning areas for pike are so limited that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) implemented an emergency closure to pike fishing in the late 1990’s.

AD&G personnel and local residents inquired with the Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for a way to increase the water levels in Harding Lake in order to re-flood several acres of shallow grassy flats that are the preferred spawning habitat for the northern pike. The Salcha-Delta SWCD approached NRCS for assistance. 

Project planning, which took several years, revealed that a combination of natural and man-made disturbances dating back to the 1960's caused Rogge Creek to bypass a channel that historically had flowed into Harding Lake. The project plan was to redirect some of the Rogge Creek flow back into this channel to overcome evaporative and other lake losses and stabilize and increase the water level in Harding Lake.  Currently this creek channel only sees water to the lake during unusually high flows.

The construction project primarily consisted of constructing a 137-foot-long steel sheet pile wall that uses weirs with stop log control structures to split the low Rogge Creek flows to send some water along the existing creek channel and some water into the historic channel to empty into Harding Lake.

To add to the project complexity, the preferred diversion point on the creek was more than a mile across bogs and marshy areas from the nearest road.  An ice road needed to be built in order to access the construction site and prevent damage to the fragile areas.

Construction commenced in January 2007 and is now complete other than seeding operations.  Catherine Hadley, Jeff Oatley, and the Salcha-Delta SWCD staff deserve special recognition for putting in substantial extra effort to see this difficult project through to completion.

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Regional Land Managers Meet with NRCS

Five of the 13 Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) sat down at a table with NRCS and Alaska Village Initiatives (AVI) last week to talk about resource concerns and conservation projects on their land. 

ANCSA Corporations own a total of 44 million acres of private land in Alaska. Although village corporations own the majority of the 44 million acres, the regional corporations own some land and are a direct link to the village corporations within their region. Each region has their own land management department, and NRCS and AVI set out to forge relationships with people in those departments. As Homer District Conservationist Mark Kinney showed pictures of different conservation projects around the state, the Land Managers began to formulate ideas about the kinds of conservation assistance NRCS and AVI can provide to them. 

Project ideas included improving ATV trails to protect wildlife habitat, reclaiming abandoned mines, improving forestry practices, improving fish passage, comprehensive land planning, and general resource inventories.  AVI representatives were also able to make valuable connections about creating wood energy and improving moose habitat in villages.

In return, the regional corporation representatives provided information to NRCS about the kind of work they do. Their duties are diverse and complex encompassing everything from trespass issues to Environmental Impact Statements, so they must know natural resources and law and many things in between.  Our hats off to the land managers!  We sincerely look forward to helping them help the land.

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Satellite Collars Installed on Davis Herd

NRCS Conservationists gathered in Nome the week of March 19 to participate in the Kawerak Reindeer Herder’s Association’s annual meeting.  Presentations were given by NRCS and other agencies on fieldwork done the past summer, EQIP opportunities, projects related to the reindeer industry, and other information pertinent to reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula. 

The afternoon before the meeting began I was invited to go out with the UAF Reindeer Research Program folks and help put some satellite collars on several reindeer in the Davis herd out of Nome. 

We drove a few miles out of town, and then rode snow machines to the herd.  They blended in well with the landscape and willows protruding out of the snow, and as we got closer I began to realize this small herd involved more than 1,500 reindeer.  Reindeer Research Program Director Dr. Greg Finstad explained to us that they would be using a net gun to capture the reindeer and put the collars on.  Everyone had their own job; two herders on snow machines, one shooter on snow machine, and the rest of our seven person crew who would untangle the deer from the net and put the satellite collars on the large female “lead cows” selected. 

It was impressive to watch the skilled herders cut out the selected deer and net them.  With relative speed the net and antlers were untangled; the select deer were fitted with a satellite collar, and released to return with the herd.  Two of the deer had gotten their antlers tangled in a cable a few days before, and were strung together about 10 feet apart.  We got them separated from the herd and captured; 15 minutes later they were free of the cable and each other, and back with the herd with one of them sporting a nice new satellite collar.  After several hours, we had installed four collars on deer in the herd. 

These collars enable the reindeer herder to monitor their herd locations during severe weather events and conditions when monitoring them otherwise would be impossible.  In addition, they are a management tool for them to utilize on these million-plus acre reindeer ranges which have no roads to access them.  The collars allow the herder to follow a grazing management plan, protecting sensitive areas and utilizing areas prime for reindeer grazing. 

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Soil Interest Grows

Public awareness of the importance of soil survey information continues to grow along with requests for soils information.  The soils survey staff throughout the state has kept busy this winter providing information to the field offices, traditional customers, and to a general public that is becoming increasingly aware of the application of soils information to diverse issues. 

Staff at the soil survey offices have made presentations to local schools, university classes, agricultural groups, and government agencies.  Direct assistance has been provided to the Chickaloon Native tribe who are developing an "ecosystems-based" watershed plan.

New requests for soils information included assisting in several safety presentations to utility workers regarding stability of utility trenches and excavations.  The Matanuska-Susitna Borough sponsored a "Community Enrichment" class where NRCS staff presented information on the soils of Alaska and how to access and use soil survey data.  Participants included municipal employees, students, tribal planners, garden club members, and other interested members of the public. 

Several years ago NRCS as an agency was labeled as "Data rich - Information poor".  That perception is rapidly changing to "Data Rich - Information Rich" as the public becomes aware of our valuable resources.

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Tribal Districts in Alaska Gain Interest, Support

Eighteen representatives from across Alaska attended the AACD conference last week to learn more about Tribal Conservation Districts (TCD). Sealaska Corporation, Kwethluk Inc., Kokarmuit Corporation, Akiak IRA Council, Calista Corporation, Akiachak Corporation, Ahtna Inc., Ikluat, Inc., Togiak Natives, Ltd., Azachorok, Inc., and Tyonek IRA Council were all represented at the meeting. 

NRCS’ State Native Liaison and AACD organized the workshop, AVI President Charles Parker helped answer questions, and Tyonek Tribal Conservation District (TTCD) Chair Angela Sandstol gave the informative presentation about why they formed and what they’re doing. 

Three specific questions were answered.  1. What is a TCD?  2. How do they get formed?  3. What do they accomplish?  These questions led to a request: Host a two-day workshop so that tribes and corporations can learn more about TCDs, and invite a representative from each of the USDA agencies to promote understanding about why tribes should sign an agreement with the agency. 

The highlight of the meeting was the signing of a  cooperative working agreement between TTCD and NRCS. Angela Sandstol and State Conservationist Bob Jones signed the document and thanked each other for all the hard work on behalf of each of the organizations.

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Public Affairs Updates

Webmaster Pam Taber has created a new “Alaska Publications” page on the NRCS website.  It contains the growing library of NRCS Alaska publications for public and field office use including the Berry Management Book and Dog Waste Composting Guide. Click on “Publications” from the NRCS Alaska homepage.

State Agronomist Helen Denniston and I recently created a table-top display on Alaska insect pollinators that is available for field office use.  It can be shipped via overnight carrier. The new accompanying publication, “Introduction to Alaska Pollinators”  is available for download at http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/publications.html.

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Personnel Actions

Transfer

• Cassie Storms, SAO, to Nevada SAO effective in June.

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Correction:

• In the March 16 Edition of NRCS Alaska News, Jim Hazlett’s title was incorrect. Jim is a soil conservationist in the NRCS Mat-Su Field office.

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