Film Screening, Upcoming Speakers, & Wild Su Feast
Upcoming Events
Newtok Film Screening:
Join the Susitna River Coalition for a free screening of “Newtok,” a Patagonia documentary about the Yup'ik native village on the brink of disappearing from thawing permafrost, river erosion and increasing severe weather storms. Fighting to preserve their culture and way of life, they are forced to relocate their entire community upriver. They are some of America’s first climate refugees. The film screening will begin with an introduction by the Susitna River Coalition Energy Coordinator, June Okada. June will be discussing how you can make a difference in the future of our climate, starting by participating in your local Utility Co-Op Board Elections. Changes can start at home, and our local Co-op Boards have the power to drive change close to home by supporting diversified, ecologically responsible renewables and saying "no" to projects like the Susitna Watana Hydro Project. This event is free, but donations for the Western Alaska Disaster Recovery Fund to help those impacted by Typhoon Merbok will be encouraged at the door. Doors open at 6:30pm, screening will begin at 7pm. When: Saturday November 12th at 7pm (Doors open at 6:30pm) Where: Denali Art Council at the Sheldon Arts Hangar See the Susitna River Coalition event page for more information.
November 14-15, 2022 9AM-4PM
Join the Susitna River Coalition and the other members of the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Partnership for the 15th annual Mat-Su Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium!
This year, the event is back in person for an informative and fun-filled two days. We are excited to speak to you and to celebrate salmon, science, and the work being done to protect the fish that enrich our lives and communities.
The Susitna River Coalition will be providing an update on potential development projects in the watershed, like the West Susitna Industrial Access Corridor.
In addition, Board Member Howard Carbone will be presenting with SRC community members Corinne Marzullo and Ed O'Connor on an independent salmon stream restoration project in the Peter's Hills. We are excited to chat with you, share what we have been working on, and hear all of the other great presentations.
This fish-centered event will be held at the Palmer Community Depot from 9AM to 4PM on November 14 & 15.
Want to register or learn more? See the Event Page!
Salmon Gold: Fall's Creek Restoration Project
November 22 @ 6PM
How do you return a former gold claim back to a salmon bearing stream?
Join the Susitna River Coalition on November 22, 2022 at 6PM at the Denali Education Center, Talkeetna Campus as we welcome gold miner Howard Carbone and watershed restoration engineer Corinne Marzullo to discuss a stream restoration project.
In 2022 a landowner implemented a stream channel and floodplain restoration project on Falls Creek, a tributary to Cache Creek in the Mat-Su Borough, Alaska.
Beginning in 1906, mining operations in the area have adversely affected stream function and habitat. The channels are deeply entrenched creating poor fish habitat, have little sinuosity or large woody debris, few pools and side channels, and are artificially straightened and confined limiting interaction with the riparian and flood plain areas.
To design the new channel, a disturbed reference reach was used as a template. Neighboring miners and their heavy construction equipment were hired to construct a new stream channel corridor that approximated the reference reach morphology. The results were an increase in the overall channel length, channel sinuosity, average slope, the amount of pool habitat, glide type habitat and riffle area along with increased large in-stream wood within the project area.
The Stream Quantification Tool was used to establish a baseline before the project and will be used for long term monitoring. One result was that adult Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Coho salmon (O. kisutch) and fry were observed to be using the project area for the first time since observations began in 2019.
The project was funded as a demonstration project for Salmon Gold, who works with miners to do enhanced reclamation and habitat restoration.
For more information, see the Susitna River Coalition event page.
To participate via Zoom, Register here:
Wild Su Feast is BACK!!!
December 11, 2022 from 5-8 PM
Get Excited.....
The 6th annual Wild Su Feast is coming up!
This community event celebrates the local and wild foods of the Susitna Watershed and the communities that rely on and enjoy them. After two years of holding this event virtually...We are excited to feast in person!
After the hard work of growing, harvesting and gathering foods, there is nothing more rewarding than sharing the bounty with our neighbors.
When: December 11th, 5pm-8pm
We are excited to gather with friends to celebrate the Susitna Watershed Community, the food that Walked, Swam, Flew or Grew in the Susitna Watershed, and the work of the Susitna River Coalition.
Sponsorship Opportunity:
Are you a business who wants to contribute and help?
We rely on our local watershed businesses to run the event! If you want to support the event and our mission, we would appreciate any gift, small or big, to give away as a door prize in our raffle.
Past donations from businesses include: gift cards to your business/store, experiences in the watershed, or swag.
Please contact margaret@susitnarivercoalitionfor more information.
Update: Talkeetna River Water Reservations
Recently the Department of Natural Resources opened up a ten year review of the Talkeetna River in-stream flow reservations. This ten year review is mandated by regulation.
The Susitna River Coalition, along with Trout Unlimited and the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, supported the status quo reservation that allocates water on 16.2 river miles, starting at the mouth of the Talkeetna.
The purpose of an In-Stream Flow Reservation is to maintain water quantity and quality sufficient to protect the overall ecosystem integrity. More specifically, the purpose is protection of fish and wildlife habitat, migration, and propagation, recreation, sanitary and water quality purposes, and navigation and transportation purposes.
The Alaska Miners Association asked for a comment extension on the Talkeetna River in-stream flow reservation in August. The DNR Commissioner granted this extension. However, the public has recently learned that the Final Finding of Fact and Conclusion for the reservation is on hold. The acting DNR Commissioner wants to finish first a 2-year-old regulatory change process for certain water rights.
The Susitna River Coalition is concerned by this delay. As long as the Talkeetna River review process is not completed, the current Instream Flow Reservation still applies.
The Talkeetna River in-stream flow reservation has well-served the management purposes of the Talkeetna River Unit in the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Plan. The Recreation Rivers Plan and its enabling state law mandates an in stream flow reservation for the six designated Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers. The delay in water rights by the DNR at the request of the Alaska Miner's Situation does not bode well for the future In stream flow reservations in the Recreation Rivers Management Plan.
Want to follow Recreation Rivers?
In October, the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory Board began meeting again after their summer hiatus.
The Advisory Board consists of thirteen members representing a variety of different user groups. These board meetings are open to the public via Microsoft teams or by phone. There are opportunities for public comment at the end of each meeting.
The next three meetings will be held virtually on the following dates:
The link below to join Microsoft Teams will be the same for all the meetings.
Join on your computer or mobile app:
Or call in (audio only):
+1 907-202-7104, 618860625# United States, Anchorage
Phone Conference ID: 618 860 625#
See the Department of Natural Resources webpage for more information.
Matanuska Electric Association Co-op Board Opening!
Do you live in the Wasilla area and want to help your community move towards a clean, reliable and safe energy future?
The Matanuska Electric Association is currently looking for the right person to fill the Susitna East District seat. Any MEA coop member-owner (you pay MEA bills) can apply for this position. As a MEA board director, you can support renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and small-scale hydro power and we can avoid funding for harmful projects like the Susitna Watana Dam.
You do not need previous utility or energy-related work experience to apply.
MEA is accepting applications now until Nov 11th.
To find out more and to download the application, go to the MEA website here.