Knik tribe will be awarded $5,063,894 over 3 years to complete 100% design for at least 5 of 8 fish passage barriers along talkeetna spur road in southcentral alaska on the customary lands of the…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the Knik Tribe $5,063,894 on October 1, 2026, under the Habitat Conservation program (CFDA 11.463) to complete 100 percent design for at least five of eight fish passage barriers along Talkeetna Spur Road in Southcentral Alaska over a three-year period through September 30, 2029.

The project will remove passage barriers on customary lands of the Knik Tribe of Alaska, the Native Village of Eklutna, and Chickaloon Native Village, opening approximately 66 miles of barrier-free upstream anadromous spawning and rearing habitat and 591 acres of lake habitat for all five species of wild Pacific salmon. The work supports subsistence fishing, hunting, and foraging practices relied upon by the tribes. The restoration also benefits the Gulf of Alaska Chinook stock, an Endangered Species Act candidate species and stock of concern, and endangered beluga whales in the Gulf of Alaska.

Work is performed in Wasilla, Alaska. The Cooperative Agreement is issued through the Community-Based Restoration Program, which funds habitat conservation activities including coastal and marine habitat restoration and protection under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and related statutes. Outcomes are tracked as stream miles opened to fish passage and habitat acres restored.

Knik tribe will be awarded $5,063,894 over 3 years to complete 100% design for at least 5 of 8 fish passage barriers along talkeetna spur road in southcentral alaska on the customary lands of the federally recognized knik tribe of alaska, the native village of eklutna, and chickaloon native village. This restoration will open new access to more than 66 miles of barrier free upstream anadromous spawning and rearing habitat and 591 acres of lake habitat for all five species of wild pacific salmon. This work is invaluable to the tribes who rely on the land for subsistence lifestyles including fishing, hiding and foraging. The work also benefits the gulf of alaska chinook stock, an endangered species act candidate species and stock of concern, while benefiting endangered beluga whales in the gulf of alaska. This project is being funded by the community-based restoration program.