2  Study Area

2.1 Description

Located in southcentral Alaska, the Kenai River is part of the Cook Inlet Basin and is linked to the surrounding communities through sport, commercial, personal use, and susbsistence fishing; as well as tourism, and recreation (Figure 2.1). At least twenty-seven fish species, including six species of anadromous Pacific salmonids flourish in the Kenai River watershed, with sockeye (red) and Chinook (king) salmon as the primary species of interest for harvest and sport fisheries (Schoen et al. 2017; Willette, Edmundson, and DeCino 2004). The Kenai River his historically produced 80% of the sockeye harvested in Cook Inlet (Dorava and Milner 2000).

Surface runoff, groundwater composition, natural minerals, aquatic plants and animals, and human activities can affect water quality in this area. Potential sources of pollution from humans include gasoline powered boat engines, agriculture, mining, street runoff, and perforated septic tanks (Glass, RL 1999; Reeves et al. 2018; EPA 2011).

2.2 Figures/maps

2.2.1 Online Map of Sample Sites

Access ArcGIS Online project map at https://arcg.is/0LXGSf

Figure 2.1: Location in Alaska of Kenai River Watershed

Figure 2.2: Location of water quality sampling sites

2.3 Sampling sites descriptions/photos

Field sampling sites described in Figure 2.2 are introduced below with a photo a coordinates for each location.

2.3.1 Tributary Sites

2.3.1.1 No Name Creek

No Name Creek is a Kenai River tributary located at 60.550888 N and -151.268417 W. Samples are typically collected approximately 500 feet upstream of the confluence with the Kenai River, just upstream of the footbridge.

2.3.1.2 Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek is a Kenai River tributary. Sample site is located at 60.548029 N and -151.143240 W.

2.3.1.3 Slikok Creek

2.3.1.4 Soldotna Creek

2.3.1.5 Funny River

2.3.1.6 Moose River

2.3.1.7 Killey River

2.3.1.8 Russian River

2.3.1.9 Juneau Creek

2.3.2 Main Stem Sites

This section will include a brief description of each of the main stem field sampling sites, along with coordinates and a photo.

Dorava, Joseph M, and Alexander M Milner. 2000. “Role of Lake Regulation on Glacier-Fed Rivers in Enhancing Salmon Productivity: The Cook Inlet Watershed, South-Central Alaska, USA.” Hydrol. Process. 14 (16-17): 3149–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1085(200011/12)14:16/17<3149::aid-hyp139>3.0.co;2-y.

EPA. 2011. “Nonpoint Source Program Success Story, Alaska: Upgrading Boat Motors Reduces Hydrocarbon Pollution.” https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/ak_kenai.pdf.

Glass, RL. 1999. “Water-Quality Assessment of the Cook Inlet Basin, Alaska Summary of Data Through 1997.” https://doi.org/10.3133/wri994116.

Reeves, Mari Kathryn, Margaret Perdue, Lee Ann Munk, and Birgit Hagedorn. 2018. “Predicting Risk of Trace Element Pollution from Municipal Roads Using Site-Specific Soil Samples and Remotely Sensed Data.” Sci. Total Environ. 630 (July): 578–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.171.

Schoen, Erik R, Mark S Wipfli, E Jamie Trammell, Daniel J Rinella, Angelica L Floyd, Jess Grunblatt, Molly D McCarthy, et al. 2017. “Future of Pacific Salmon in the Face of Environmental Change: Lessons from One of the World’s Remaining Productive Salmon Regions.” Fisheries 42 (10): 538–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/03632415.2017.1374251.

Willette, T. M., J. M. Edmundson, and R. D. DeCino. 2004. “Kenai River Estuary Baseline Fisheries Assessment.” Anchorage, Alaska.