Crooked Creek Education and Restoration Project
What: Crooked Creek Restoration and Education Project
Where: Latitude 60.297 Longitude -151.274
Why: To coordinate a partnership of local students, teachers, conservation organizations, agency personnel and community volunteers to restore Crooked Creek at a failed road crossing in Kasilof, AK. This coalition will create a model community conservation project by stabilizing a flood damaged section while also mitigating ongoing bank trampling. This project will provide a study area for Adopt-A-Stream students and a salmon viewing area with walkways and educational signs. Crooked Creek provides 61 miles of direct stream and riparian habitat for migratory birds, chinook and coho salmon and one of the northernmost runs of steelhead in Alaska.
When: Spring 2007 to Summer 2008
Cost: Estimated $90,000+
Who: Kenai Watershed Forum, US Fish & Wildlife Service, ConocoPhillips, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Tustumena Elementary, Boy Scouts of America, Mike's Welding
Status: IN PROGRESS
Education Project Overview: With over 61 miles of riparian habitat, Crooked Creek is one of the longest anadromous streams on the Kenai Peninsula and is home to strong runs of chinook and coho salmon and steelhead. The section of Crooked Creek near the Sterling Highway in Kasilof is a very popular community use area because it is one of the few public access areas on the Kenai Peninsula where spawning chinook salmon can be viewed. Local community members and visitors are seen in significant numbers in this area every year. After August 1st each summer, it is also a popular fishing area. As a result of all this use, the stream bank has been significantly impacted. This impact was dramatically increased by the failure of two culverts at a road crossing during the flood of 2002, which caused viewing platform and stream stabilization structures to be lost.
As an extension of the Adopt-A-Stream program with Tustumena Elementary 6th Grade Streamkeepers, KWF is currently working with a partnership of local students, teachers, parents, community volunteers, and natural resource organization and agency personnel to restore and protect Crooked Creek and its unique resources.
Kelly Balise’s 2006-07 Tustumena Streamkeepers initiated this innovative community project with the assistance of KWF and other agency staff. During their monthly creek study trips, students photographed public use of and impacts to the creek. They also researched platforms, walkways and habitat restoration techniques. Students designed and installed signs to educate community members and visitors about the unique ecology of Crooked Creek and how they can help protect the area. They also cleaned up trash in and along Crooked Creek. As part of his Eagle Scout project, former Tustumena Streamkeeper Keith Clancy planned and helped construct a new, elevated study platform for Adopt-A-Stream students. The platform is made of a grate material that allows light to penetrate to the vegetation below, which in turn protects the stream bank from erosion.
Partners are also working to stabilize the stream bank where the road washed out, and plan to build habitat protection and handicap-accessible viewing and fishing platforms along with additional walkways and educational signs. These partners will work to restore this critical habitat and create a model conservation, education and fishing area for youth, local residents and visitors.