Stream watch is a volunteer and public engagement program that utilizes a group of trained ambassadors and single-daystewardship events to perform habitat protection projects at high use…

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS), Region 7, awarded $109,833.75 to the Kenai Watershed Forum under the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program (CFDA 15.686) for the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The Kenai Watershed Forum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Soldotna, Alaska, administers the Stream Watch program—a 25-year-old volunteer and public engagement initiative that delivers habitat protection and environmental stewardship services on the Kenai Peninsula. Through trained Stream Watch Ambassadors, the organization conducts patrols of high-use recreational areas to collect litter, implement riparian vegetation protection projects, and provide environmental education to recreational users. These efforts directly protect fish and wildlife habitat while fostering a culture of stewardship among recreators.

In addition to ambassador-based activities, the cooperative agreement funds multiple single-day stewardship events designed to engage untrained volunteers in specific habitat projects, including ecosystem cleanups, invasive species removal, and habitat restoration work. The program coordinates with partner organizations on fish barrier removal and additional habitat restoration initiatives as they are developed. The Stream Watch program serves all five species of wild Pacific salmon present on the Kenai Peninsula and extends benefits to diverse stakeholder groups through improved fish habitat, enhanced water quality, and increased public awareness of best practices for outdoor recreation and environmental conservation.

Stream watch is a volunteer and public engagement program that utilizes a group of trained ambassadors and single-daystewardship events to perform habitat protection projects at high use recreational sites on the kenai peninsula in alaska.through this project, the kenai watershed forum (KWF) will continue to administer the 25-year-old stream watch program.through this project, KWF will continue training stream watch ambassadors to patrol popular recreational areas whereambassadors collect litter, implement projects protecting sensitive riparian vegetation, and provide the public withenvironmental educational messaging, encouraging a culture of stewardship for recreators on the kenai peninsula throughthese activities, fish and wildlife habitat is both directly benefitted by the actions of ambassadors, but also indirectlythrough the passing of education to other recreators about best practices related to fishing and other recreation, allowing forfish habitat to be conserved and the continued enjoyment of these recreational spaces for a variety of user groups. In addition to training individual ambassadors, several stewardship events will be hosted through this project that willallow for untrained volunteers to participate in single-day events focused on specific projects including habitat clean-UPS, invasive species removals and habitat restoration protection projects. The project will also seek to coordinate with a varietyof partners on fish barrier removal projects and other habitat restoration projects as they are developed.stream watch operates as a community partnership, whose strong roots within multiple rural communities on the kenaipeninsula brings benefits to a wide variety of stakeholders. Results of this work include improved habitat for fish andwildlife species of the kenai peninsula, home to all five species of wild pacific salmon. Results of this project also includean increased number of informed user groups on the best practices of outdoor recreation including anglers, hunters, hikersand other trail users, wildlife enthusiasts and local fish and wildlife harvesters. Areas targeted for work under this projectinclude public use sites along the kenai river, home to a world-renowned salmon fishery. Stream watch is jointlyadministered by the kenai watershed forum and chugach national forest. Program partners include alaska departmentof natural resources, city of kenai, city of soldotna, US fish and wildlife service, alaska department of fish andgame, kenai peninsula borough, and the kenaitze indian tribe.