Appendix 1 POW Interpretive Signs Brief.pdf

Prince of Wales (POW) Interpretive Signs Brief Page 1 of 7

Overview and Key Messages Prince of Wales Island is one of southernmost island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeast Alaska. Located in the temperate rainforest and measuring 140 miles long, the island is the 4th largest island in the United States. Seventy-five percent of the island is managed by the US Forest Service with district offices located in the communities of Craig and Thorne Bay. Prince of Wales Island, AK | Things to Do, Recreation, & Travel Information | Travel Alaska

Using Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)) funding, we propose to install new interpretive signage at five sites on Prince of Wales Island managed by the Forest Service (Figure 1). Four of these sites are fish passes which were installed by the Forest Service to allow migratory salmon to access productive fish habitat above natural barriers (waterfalls), boosting production of salmon. Salmon are the lifeblood of Southeast Alaska and have fed the indigenous people of the area for over 9000 years. Over fifty animal species depend on salmon spawning in freshwater.

The return of spawning salmon to freshwater rivers and lakes fertilizes the forest.

Marine nutrients stored in salmon have been found over 500 yards away from streams.

The other site slated for new interpretive signage is a small interpretive trail located on a salmon stream.

Figure 1. Location of interpretive sites on Prince of Wales Island where new signage in proposed.

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Prince of Wales (POW) Interpretive Signs Brief Page 2 of 7

Primary Themes

Interpretive themes include:

Key messages that fit under these themes include:

Ecosystems: The Tongass National Forest is a dynamic ecosystem, shaped by nature, woven by culture.

Salmon are a keystone species in the temperate rainforest ecosystem of Southeast Alaska. Salmon have complex lifecycles that brings large quantities of marine nutrients to the rainforest, increasing forest productivity.

World-Class Resources:

People can discover a unique combination of resources in the Tongass National Forest. These world-class resources are important globally, nationally, and locally.

Salmon are a world class resource in Southeast Alaska. Threats to salmon including hydropower, hatcheries, habitat, and harvest. In the lower 48, these threats have led to the listing of many salmon runs as threatened and endangered. In Southeast Alaska, salmon thrive supporting the region through subsistence, commercial, and recreational fisheries.

People and the Land:

Alaska’s coastal lands and waterways have met peoples’ social, physical, and spiritual needs for thousands of years. The Tongass National Forest will continue to nurture the region’s natural and cultural diversity for future generations.

Salmon play a key role in indigenous cultures in Southeast Alaska. “Tlingit traditional knowledge and spiritual beliefs led to stewardship practices that sustained salmon runs throughout human history. Indigenous management practices using traditional knowledge informed a system that included allocation and utilization linked to clan groups, cultural values of avoiding waste, and respect for salmon.”

Southeast Alaska : SASAP : State of Alaska Salmon and People

Management and Stewardship:

We, and our partners, care for your Tongass National Forest using the best information to sustain the use and protection of resources for today and tomorrow.

Sixty-four fish habitat enhancements (fishways, falls improvements) across 42 systems improve fish access to 574 stream miles (+4%) and 5,531 acres of lakes (+3%), opening fish habitat to boost salmon production on the Tongass.

Approximately 93% of 900+ watersheds on the are in near-natural condition, per a 2015 Tongass-wide watershed condition assessment, with the remaining 68 in need of aquatic habitat restoration.

https://alaskasalmonandpeople.org/region/southeast-alaska/ https://alaskasalmonandpeople.org/region/southeast-alaska/

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Big Lake Fish Pass (Appendix 4) The Big Lake Fish Pass structure is located on Ratz Creek on Prince of Wales Island between the communities of Thorne Bay and Coffman Cove (Figure 2). The bedrock falls created a natural barrier to upstream fish movement. After spending between 1 and 7 years growing at sea, salmon return to their natal streams to spawn and die. Their bodies fertilize the streams and surrounding forests. Salmon need access to a variety of habitat types to complete their complex lifecycles.

Efforts to make the falls on Ratz Creek passable began in 1963 and 1964, when blasting was used to deepen the pools to allow salmon to scale the falls. These efforts only provided partial passage at certain flows. The fish ladder was built in 1991 to provide access for Coho and Pink Salmon to spawning and rearing habitat upstream.

Chum and Sockeye Salmon and Steelhead Trout also use this fish pass. The fish pass provides access to 4.1 miles stream habitat and 209 acres of lake habitat for spawning and rearing.

Figure 2. Location of Big Falls Fish Pass on Ratz Creek (orange fish). Thick blue lines indicate salmon streams. The installation of the fish ladder around the falls allowed Coho, Pink, Chum and Sockeye Salmon and Steelhead Trout to access habitat upstream of the waterfall including Big Lake and its tributaries.

A short gravel trail leads from the parking area to a wooden deck where the waterfall and the fish passage structure are visible.

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Cable Creek Fish Pass (Appendix 5) The Cable Creek Fish Pass structure is located on Cable Creek which drains to Trocadero Bay near the communities of Hydaburg, Hollis, and Klawock (Figure 3). This concrete pool and weir structure was constructed in 1986 to provide upstream passage for Coho Salmon. The concrete weirs create a series of pools from which Coho can jump to the next step. The falls remain a formidable barrier in their modified state and still prevent the passage of other species of salmon. Habitat upstream of the falls was stocked with fry reared in a hatchery over six years following installation of the structure.

The fish passage provides upstream access to 4.72 miles of stream habitat and 4 acres of lake habitat for Coho Salmon spawning and rearing. Unlike Pink and Chum Salmon which travel to salt water in the spring after emerging from the gravel, Coho Salmon spend between one and two years in freshwater before migrating to the ocean.

A 0.13-mile trail leads to a wooden deck from which the waterfalls and the fish passage structure are visible.

Figure 3. Location of Cable Creek Fish Pass (orange fish). Thick blue lines indicate salmon streams. The installation of the concrete pool and weir structure through the falls allowed Coho to access habitat upstream of the waterfall for spawning and rearing.

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Dog Salmon Fish Pass (Appendix 6) The Dog Salmon Fish Pass is located on Dog Salmon Creek south of Hollis (Figure 4).

This fish ladder was first constructed in 1984. A concrete wall was added in 1991. In 2012, the structure was altered to allow improved passage during low flows. The fish pass was constructed to provide passage for Pink and Chum Salmon but is also used by Sockeye Salmon. The structure allows access to 7.4 miles of stream and 47 acres of lake habitat upstream.

The site is accessed by a 0.18-mile trail that leads to a wooden deck overlook. Bears feasting on salmon jumping the falls are frequently observed at this site during spawning season. This site is part of Nature Watch (Nature Watch - USDA Forest Service).

Figure 4. Location of Dog Salmon Fish Pass (orange fish). Thick blue lines indicate salmon streams. The installation of the fish ladder around the falls allowed better access for Pink, Chum, and Sockeye Salmon to habitat upstream of the waterfall for spawning and rearing.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/naturewatch/ https://www.fs.usda.gov/naturewatch/

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Hatchery Creek Fish Pass (Appendix 7) The Hatchery Creek Fish Pass is located on Hatchery Creek upstream of Sweetwater Lake near Coffman Cove (Figure 5). This fish passage structure consists of concrete, wood, and aluminum step pools. It was constructed in 2010 to provide an improved subsistence fishery of Sockeye Salmon. Coho Salmon also use this fish pass structure to scale the falls. This structure provides access to 56 miles of stream and 808 acres of lake habitat upstream.

A 0.62-mile boardwalk trail leads to two decks that overlook the falls where the fish pass is located. Stairs lead down to the river below the falls. This area is used heavily for subsistence fishing for Sockeye Salmon.

Figure 5. Location of Hatchery Creek Fish Pass (orange fish). Thick blue lines indicate salmon streams. The installation of the fish pass through the falls allows better access for Sockeye and Coho Salmon to habitat upstream for spawning and rearing.

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Balls Lake Interpretive Trail (Appendix 3) The Balls Lake Interpretive Trail is located north of Klawock and west of Thorne Bay (Figure 6). At 2.92 miles long, this boardwalk trail is the longest on the island. This trail is also located at Eagle’s Nest Campground. A covered picnic pavilion is located at the trailhead and there is a boat launch. A short loop interpretive trail (Figure 6) overlooks the inlet stream. The current interpretive signs discuss the salmon lifecycle and the importance of riparian habitat. Coho and Sockeye Salmon spawn and rear in the streams and lakes in this area. Lake habitat is particularly important for Sockeye Salmon rearing and Coho also use this habitat for overwintering.

Figure 6. Location of the short interpretive loop (orange fish) at the Balls Lake Trail and Eagle’s Nest Campground. Thick blue lines indicate salmon streams.