The norton BAY inter tribal watershed council will engage with watershed stakeholders to complete a watershed restoration plan for the norton BAY watershed, in the bering sea area of western alaska

The Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council will receive $182,831 from the Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation under the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CFDA 15.554) to complete a watershed restoration plan for the Norton Bay watershed in Alaska from March 2023 through December 2025. The Council will collect baseline data on water quality and quantity, map watershed features, review best practices, and engage stakeholders to identify high-priority restoration projects addressing issues like fish die-offs. As local communities rely on subsistence resources impacted by climate change, the plan aims to enhance fish habitat in the salmon-spawning watershed. The Council will work directly with tribal, government, corporate, and nonprofit stakeholders that depend on the watershed's long-term sustainability.

The inupiat and central yupik communities located within the watershed rely on a subsistence economy. However, in recent years, diminishing sea ICE in the bering strait and increasing freshwater temperatures resulting from climate change have begun to impact subsistance resources. While the watershed provides important salmon spawning habitat, there have been recent large scale DIE offs of otherwise healthy fish due to increased water temperatures and reduced dissolved oxygen. The council will collect baseline watershed data on water quality and quantity, complete mapping and technical analysis of watershed data, conduct outreach to watershed stakeholders, and review watershed specific best management practices established by federal, state, and local governments. The restoration plan will identify and prioritize watershed management projects to address impacts that stress fish communities and result in fish kills. The council will engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including tribal entities, federal and state agencies land management agencies, alaska villages and regional native corporations, and non profit organizations.