Evaluating Current Condition of Fish Habitat in Streams of Second Growth Watersheds in Southeast Alaska: Ensuring Sustainability of Timber Resources and Anadromous Fisheries

Landscape factors, both natural and anthropogenic, affect stream habitats and the biota they support. Land uses in the riparian zone, for example, have been shown to directly affect amounts and types of woody debris and substrate in streams. In the Pacific Northwest, timber harvest in riparian zones is acknowledged as having negative effects on aquatic habitat and fishes, leading to loss of woody debris and excess sedimentation, for example. In response, regulations have been established including Alaska's Forest Resource and Practices Act, with important amendments regarding restricting riparian harvest applied in 1990. During the summer of 2011, I collected in-stream and riparian habitat data from 28 streams to characterize current condition of habitat in streams harvested before the regulation changes. By first quantifying how habitats in these streams are affected by natural factors, we can more effectively identify influences of differing management practices. Streams of similar types draining un-logged watersheds in the region will be compared to our streams, with the end goal of addressing regulation effectiveness. This will help us better understand which factors may be affected by riparian harvest and will also provide managers of the region's streams with better information for protecting southeast Alaska's anadromous fisheries.