Just feet from where Resurrection Creek’s mainstem gushes north, about 20 pink and chum salmon splashed around in a side channel that was constructed just weeks before. The water there was shallow – just right for resting salmon.
“So much of the environment in Alaska relies on salmon,” said Marian Giannulis, Trout Unlimited Alaska’s Communications and Engagement Director. The group is one of about five partner organizations involved with the project.
The side channel in Resurrection Creek is one of several additions the restoration team has worked on since May. They wrapped up the season in July, and has been one of the busiest summers in the project’s more than 20 year history, according to Giannulis. And this summer has seen more progress than in years past, partially because the team didn’t have to wait for snow from last winter to melt.
“The benefits to the whole system from them returning, bringing those marine driven nutrients back to the system," said Giannulis. "There's all the predators who are feeding on them. You know, the ripple effect of this project is really pronounced.”
The reason salmon left, and are now returning to, Resurrection Creek dates back more than 100 years.
That’s when the creek was heavily damaged by mining activity during Hope’s gold rush. The creek’s once natural bends were turned into a straight, fast-moving river that didn’t support salmon or other indigenous wildlife. Natural vegetation and wetlands were also destroyed, according to Giannulis.
But about 20 years ago, the U.S. Forest Service began work on a restoration project to bring the creek, its side channels and vegetation back to its natural state. Phase one of the project restored a one mile stretch of the creek, which is now a popular salmon fishing spot. Phase two is restoring a larger, two mile portion of the creek, and is still under construction.
Giannulis says the number of returning salmon has increased sixfold in some areas.
“Twenty years from now, there could be people standing on this creek who had no idea that it was mined significantly and left in a very far state from what it naturally once was,” Giannulis said.
The project site still runs through active mining claims under the Hope Mining Company. But they’ve partnered with the Chugach National Forest to support the project.
Angela Coleman, watershed program manager with the Chugach, says the partnership shows how different interests can still work toward a common goal.
“I think it's pretty perfect that all those entities are coming together and realizing salmon is essentially gold for the state, and you're coming to this historic gold mining town that is able to find all these different entities,” Coleman said.
This summer alone the crew constructed six new meanders, or bends in the creek that slow the water’s flow. They also built about a quarter mile of side channels, and planted lots of natural vegetation, creating more wetlands
“The wetlands building and the revegetation is such a critical part of the overall project, and a lot of those benefits are wide reaching for species, beyond fish,” Giannulis said.
Salmon aren’t the only animals that have been spotted at Resurrection Creek. A bald eagle, two moose and several seagulls were seen near the newly constructed creek on the day KDLL toured the site.
For the first time, measuring carbon levels in the restoration site’s soil and vegetation was a priority. Research indicates that wetlands, like those reconstructed at Resurrection Creek, may store more carbon than a forest. That can reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the air.
“So there's a huge win-win here,” said Jordan Fields, aquatic resiliency scientist with Trout Unlimited. He led the project’s carbon sampling initiative.
“We can support and restore ecosystems, and in doing so, support salmonids and the fishermen and the communities and the economies that rely on those intact ecosystems, while also tackling a broader global challenge that is affecting those same fisheries," Fields said. "And that's climate change.”
Although he’s still determining how much carbon is stored at the site, Fields says the amount of replanted vegetation there is a good indicator for positive results.
Next summer, the project leads plan to add more vegetation and create additional side channels for salmon. They hope the project will be completed in two years.
