Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership

Site Tour, August 26, 2021

Little Susitna River Watershed

Little Susitna as Salmon Habitat Reed Lakes Trailhead, Hatcher Pass

Sarah Myers and Samantha Oslund (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

The Little Susitna River drainage is approximately 110 miles long and starts as a clear, rushing mountain stream at 4,500
feet in elevation. It descends into a slowly meandering, muddy river draining marshy lowlands to where it meets Knik
Arm. The river runs through the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge, an area set aside by the Alaska State Legislature for
salmon spawning and rearing habitats. Research on this anadromous water body has included temperature monitoring,
bank modification, water quality, and fish passage.

The Little Susitna River produces all five

species of Pacific salmon in Alaska as
well as Arctic lamprey. Other indigenous
species include Dolly Varden, rainbow
trout, sculpin, and stickleback. The river
produces the second largest freshwater
harvest of silver salmon in the state.
Northern Pike have been found in
multiple lakes that feed into the Little
Susitna. To date, pike presence has not
been confirmed in the river itself.
Common permitting requests include
water withdrawals, stream crossings,
along with a few requests for bridges
and installation of temperature loggers.
The headwaters of the Little Susitna River begin around 4,500 feet in elevation in Hatcher
Within the Knik Arm Management Area, Pass. (Grant Robinson / MSBSHP)
the Little Susitna River is the only stream
open to Chinook salmon harvest (of wild
fish) other than the Eklutna tailrace terminal fishery (stocked with Chinook). The Little Susitna River supports a major
Chinook salmon fishery as well as the largest coho salmon fishery in the Northern Cook Inlet Management Area. Chinook
salmon bound for the Little Susitna River are also harvested in marine sport and commercial fisheries, subsistence and
personal use fisheries.

Chinook salmon return to the Little Susitna River from late May through early July; the run peaks around mid-June.
Spawning occurs from the Burma Road area upstream into Hatcher Pass, with the majority of spawning taking place
upstream of the Parks Highway Bridge. There are few Chinook salmon that use tributaries for spawning. Peak spawning
typically occurs during the last week of July.

Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership

Thriving fish, healthy habitats, & vital communities in the Mat-Su Basin
Coho salmon return to the Little Susitna River primarily from mid-July through early September. Tagging studies indicate
that coho salmon migrate slowly up the Little Susitna River and remain available to the fishery for about 4 weeks, after
which they pass the George Parks Highway Bridge into waters closed to fishing for salmon. Spawning takes place from
late September through mid-October. Spawning primarily occurs upstream from the George Parks Highway in the
mainstem of the river, but some spawning occurs in tributary streams.

The Little Susitna meanders through the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge near river mile 28. (Grant Robinson / MSBSHP)

page 2 of 8
Thermal Requirements and Stream Temperature Monitoring N. Sushana Drive
Sue Mauger (Cook Inletkeeper), Becky Shaftel (UAA), Franklin Dekker (USFWS)

The Little Susitna River is one of the most productive fisheries in the Mat-Su region and therefore a high priority
watershed for conserving salmon habitats. However, we lack adequate water quality data to inform management and
conservation decisions in this watershed. UAA and Cook Inletkeeper are working in collaboration with USFWS to collect
data on stream temperature, dissolved oxygen, discharge, and juvenile salmon growth to identify the diversity and
distribution of habitats that support salmon life stages across the Little Susitna watershed.

We established stream temperature monitoring sites at 13 mainstem locations and 15

tributaries in October 2019. Discharge data are being collected at 11 sites that span a
range of stream sizes and elevations. Streamflow measurements will be collected at
different water levels to understand discharge effects on temperature and establish
instream flow requirements for salmon. Year-round temperature data will be used to
understand how different thermal regimes support salmon life stages – adult migration
and spawning and juvenile rearing – and compare the results to similar data from the
Deshka watershed.

By understanding habitat diversity as it relates to temperature, we can inform fishery

management and conservation actions by (1) identifying cold-water habitats; (2)
identifying critical habitats for conservation; (3) informing data gaps; (4) providing real-
time information relevant to making management decisions; (5) characterizing baseline
conditions in anticipation of climate and development impacts.
Dustin Merrigan pounds rebar, to
which a logger will be attached, into
Papoose Creek, a tributary of the The final project goal will be to collect a five-year baseline documenting stream habitat
Little Susitna River. (Dan Bogan /thermal and hydrologic diversity that supports salmon life stages. The dataset and
UAA) findings will help the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Partnership meet specific objectives
identified in its strategic action plan by identifying thermal and hydrologic
characteristics that support high quality habitats for juvenile Chinook and coho Salmon; implementing a monitoring
program to understand the relationship between salmon, water quality, and climate change; and maintaining a
comprehensive program to monitor stream temperatures in a watershed important to salmon with a mixture of
development impacts.

page 3 of 8
Aquatic Invasive Species Impact on Salmon Habitat Riverside RV & Camper Park
Parker Bradley (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

The northern pike is native to most of Alaska, but it does

not naturally occur south and east of the Alaska Range
except for a small, remnant population near Yakutat.
Northern pike were illegally introduced to Southcentral
Alaska in the 1950s, and over the course of several decades,
continued spreading throughout the Mat-Su Valley to over
150 waterbodies. They are a voracious predator and can
have significant impacts on native species, particularly
salmon and trout, which classifies them as an invasive
species.

Since 2008, ADF&G has been conducting both suppression

and eradication projects throughout the region and raising
awareness about the harm invasive species can cause to
ecosystems. Significant progress has been made on Stomach contents of a pike reveal pike preying on rearing salmonids.
(ADFG)
removal efforts in the Kenai and Anchorage areas, and now
we are focusing more efforts on the expansive Mat-Su
valley.

ADF&G does not know how long pike have been in the Little Su drainage or how they specifically got there, but they are
now confirmed in seven lakes within the drainage and are likely in several more. In addition to documenting the current
distribution of pike, ADF&G has been opportunistically netting the largest lake in the drainage, Nancy Lake, to remove as
many pike as possible. This year to date, we have captured over 500 pike in Nancy Lake alone. While Nancy Lake, along
with others in the drainage including the Little Su itself, offer some habitat diversity for prey species that helps them
avoid predation, negative impacts from the pike on the native species have already been observed and will
unfortunately continue.

ADF&G, along with partner agencies, groups, and universities, has been expanding efforts in the Mat-Su and working
together to prioritize research and pike removal efforts. While there is no simple solution to the pike problem in the
Mat-Su Valley, we hope that through these collaborative efforts along with help from the public, we can reduce their
spread and continue restoring critical salmon habitat.

page 4 of 8
The Value of the Little Susitna Riverside Camper & RV Park
Andy Couch (Fishtale River Guides), Ted Eischeid (MSB Planner, Staff to MSB Fish and Wildlife Commission)

Mat-Su salmon have significant economic and cultural value. As one

example, sportfishing in Upper Cook Inlet is a major contributor to the
economy of the Mat-Su Borough.

Studies on the economics of sportfishing in the Mat-Su Borough were

conducted in 2007 and 2017. The 2017 study found that anglers spent $57.4
million in retail, supporting more than 370 jobs and providing $10.9 million
in labor income. Despite the robust contribution to the economy of the
MSB, the 2017 study shows a significant reduction in both sportfishing
effort and economic contribution, perhaps signaling decreased angler effort
in response to declining salmon return and fishing opportunity to MSB
waters. The MSB Fish and Wildlife Commission sponsored the 2017 study
and it can be downloaded from the FWC web page: Matanuska-Susitna
Borough - MSB Fish and Wildlife Commission (matsugov.us)

Sportfishing spending and license fees also supports state fisheries

management and improvements to recreational access and facilities. Excise
taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels are collected
and distributed through the Sportfish Restoration Program (Dingell-Johnson
Act). The Little Susitna Public Use Facility at river mile 28.5 was completed in
1990 using with funding from the program. The LSPUF provides boating
access, bank fishing areas, camping and wildlife viewing opportunities
Andy Couch has been guiding clients in the Mat-Su previously unavailable within the Susitna Flats State Game Refuge.
Valley for 38 years. (Andy Couch)

Andy Couch has guided clients in the Mat-Su for 38

years and worked as a fisheries technician for
ADF&G for several summer prior to his guiding
career. One observation he has noticed that impacts
the economic opportunity for sportfishing guides is
a shift in the run timing of Chinook and coho
salmon. In his observations both species are running
later in the season. For coho, which comprise a
major portion of his business, that means the time
for fishing now comes after the peak of the summer
visitor season and when locals are gearing up for
hunting and children are back in school.

A sportfisherman launches his boat at the Little Susitna Public Use Facility.
(Grant Robinson / MSBSHP)

page 5 of 8
Tools to Maintain Healthy Salmon Habitat Little Susitna River Campground
David Mitchell (Great Land Trust)

Great Land Trust is a nonprofit organization founded by Alaskans in 1995

to conserve lands and waters essential to the quality of life and
economic health of our communities. GLT works in voluntary partnership
with landowners, agencies, communities and other partners throughout
Southcentral Alaska with a focus on the Municipality of Anchorage, Mat-
Su Borough, Prince William Sound and Kodiak. GLT’s focus is on land
conservation for community benefit – we work to protect wetlands that
provide clean drinking water, to conserve habitat for salmon and other
wildlife, and to build trails and establish access to the outdoors and open
space.

Great Land Trust is working with the City of Houston on a land deal that will conserve 74 acres and over one mile of the
Little-Su directly upstream of the Parks Highway in an area designated as the State of Alaska Little Su Recreational River.
The property has walking trails and provides salmon habitat and open space adjacent to the Parks Highway and the City
of Houston’s campground. The property will be granted to the City of Houston for ownership and management subject
to permanent property restrictions to protect salmon habitat.

This project is part of an effort by GLT to conserve priority salmon habitat in the Mat-Su Borough that helps meet
Objective 2.2 of the Partnership’s Strategic Action Plan: Protection of Priority Salmon Riparian Habitat. This objective
aims to secure long-term protective status (e.g., conservation easements, designated parks, land acquisition, local
ordinance) for at least 10% of priority riparian habitats that have not been significantly altered by 2023. In 2014 GLT
prioritized land parcels on the top 35 salmon streams in the MSB for their benefits to salmon habitat. This property was
identified as a priority ranking in the top 100 of all parcels considered.

page 6 of 8
page 7 of 8
page 8 of 8