The Chickaloon Village Watershed Health Project’s goal is to protect and restore the Matanuska River watershed. We do this by documenting traditional knowledge about the watershed and its traditional uses, tracking local development plans and commenting where necessary, planning and implementing restoration projects, conducting water quality monitoring, developing tribal water quality and other environmental ordinances, mapping important watershed features including salmon habitat, and providing watershed-based public education to both Tribal members and the larger community. Currently our project is funded by a grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Native Americans.
Summary
2004 was an exciting year for Chickaloon Village Watershed Health Project, as we initiated our water quality monitoring program. Over the past several years, four Tribal staff have received training through the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society’s (NAFWS) Tribal Water Quality Training Program. In 2003, using a template developed by NAFWS for Alaska Tribes, we developed our quality assurance project plan and submitted it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for approval.
In January 2004, we received approval of our Quality Assurance Project Plan from EPA.
Samples were collected at least once per month from April through October at nine sites on tributaries within the Matanuska River watershed including Caribou Creek, Purinton Creek, Chickaloon River, Yellow Jacket Creek, Kings River, Granite Creek, Eska Creek, and Moose Creek (upper and lower sites). In addition to these streams, two additional, more remote streams (April Creek and Wolverine Creek) were visited once during 2004.
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