How Should We Manage the Kenai River Watershed? An Artificial Intelligence’s Perspective
January 15, 2025Great work starts with a great plan. For the Kenai River area, we’re lucky to have had many brilliant minds over the years put their heads together on how to best steward our watershed for future generations of healthy fish, wildlife, and communities. These documents represent our highest long-term intentions from some of our most engaged and experienced community members.
In fact, so many great local planning documents have been written that it can be a challenge to know where to start using them. Further, sometimes the various agencies and organizations that publish these plans are not fully aware of each other’s mutual goals, like ships passing in the night. But we can do better. The more we know about how we already want to work together, the more we can accomplish, sooner.
Thus was the inspiration for an informal project Kenai Watershed Forum began in 2021. We reviewed and summarized a handful of local plans with natural resource management goals, which are listed at the end of this post. The majority of these plans, some of which are hundreds of pages, were assessed in 2021 by KWF staff Jack Buban, and organized into the spreadsheet linked here. The document is an achievement, but is still somewhat an overwhelming avalanche of information. How should we use these plans, where do we start?
With the advent of widely-available artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT, we wanted to see what they could do to help. We provided ChatGPT with the summary spreadsheet linked above along with a few other documents, and tested prompts to help identify where mutual goals and priorities exist. You can see the specific back-and-forth conversation here.
The resulting output is shared at the end of this post, and is striking in several ways:
- None of the recommendations are unfamiliar ideas. The ChatGPT analysis highlights fundamental shared goals like habitat protection zoning, wetlands mapping and assessment, and addressing aquatic invasive species.
- An “overlap matrix” produced by ChatGPT is a useful visual, although the first version it suggested was highly incomplete.
- Knowing that similar goals are described in multiple, independent, page-referenced planning documents provides a powerful tool for future grant writing.
Artificial intelligence is of course just that – artificial. Like artificial flavoring, it can’t really ever capture the collective wisdom and detail of the original documents. We can’t control everything that is happening behind the scenes with this kind of AI-aided analysis, thus we should by no means consider the results complete. Some results may even be total hallucinations. But, we can see that AI can be a powerful tool for getting a foothold on what might otherwise be a difficult mountain of information.
The kind of exercise described here is a reminder for us to regularly check back in on KWF’s fundamentals. We look forward to hearing from you about what you think, and hope you’ll join us!
See the ChatGPT conversation prompts here. Final response posted below.
*** All content below here was produced by ChatGPT ***
Kenai Peninsula Borough Management Plans Analyzed
- Kenai River Review, 1978
- Kenai River Comprehensive Management Plan (KRSMA), 1997
- Kenai Peninsula Borough Comprehensive Plan (KPB), 2005 & 2019
- Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Strategic Plan (KPFHP), 2010
- Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Plan (KNWR), 2010
- City of Soldotna Comprehensive Plan, 2011
- City of Kenai Comprehensive Plan, 2016
- Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership Conservation Action Plan, 2022
- Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership Climate Change Supplement, 2022
Detailed Breakdown of Overlapping Goals in Kenai Peninsula Borough Management Plans
Key Overlapping Priorities
- Nonpoint Source Pollution – Use sustainable design in public development to manage stormwater, retain native vegetation, and reduce impervious surfaces.
- Wetlands – Mapping, understanding, and protecting wetlands through funding, assessments, and conservation strategies.
- Invasive Aquatic Organisms – Monitoring, controlling, and eradicating invasive species like pike and elodea to protect native fish habitats.
- Habitat Protection Zoning – Zoning policies to direct public access and prevent habitat damage while promoting sustainable development.
- Bank Protection and Erosion – Establish erosion control measures and bank protection zones along sensitive river areas.
- Water Quantity – Prohibit new dams/diversions that reduce essential stream flows and protect fish habitats.
- Fish Passage – Prioritize the replacement of culverts and bridges to restore normal stream function and fish passage.
- Setback Measures – Review and improve riparian setback measures to enhance water quality and habitat protection.
- General Water Quality Practices – Protect riparian areas, wetlands, and streams to enhance water quality through conservation.
Priority Area Summaries
- Nonpoint Source Pollution
- Present in: KRSMA (Page 45), KPB (Page 67, 2019 Plan), City of Soldotna (Page 32, 2011 Plan), 2022 Conservation Action Plan (Page 28), KNWR (Section 3.25)
- Focus: Sustainable design, stormwater management, native vegetation retention
- Education and Outreach: Increase public awareness on nonpoint source pollution and encourage sustainable practices (KPB, Page 70), (2022 Climate Change Supplement, Page 15)
- Wetlands
- Present in: KRSMA (Page 53), KPFHP (Page 22, 2010 Plan), KPB (Page 58, 2005 Plan), City of Soldotna (Page 29, 2011 Plan), City of Kenai (Page 41, 2016 Plan), 2022 Conservation Action Plan (Page 18), KNWR (Section 3.10), Kenai River Review (Page 17)
- Focus: Wetland mapping, funding, ecological assessments, conservation planning
- Education and Outreach: Provide workshops and materials on wetland protection (KPFHP, Page 24), (2022 Conservation Action Plan, Page 30)
- Invasive Aquatic Organisms
- Present in: 2022 Conservation Action Plan (Page 14), KNWR (Section 3.7), KPB (Page 71, 2019 Plan)
- Focus: Monitoring and eradicating elodea, pike, and other invasive species threatening aquatic habitats.
- Education and Outreach: Public education campaigns to prevent the spread of invasive species (2022 Conservation Action Plan, Page 16)
- Habitat Protection Zoning
- Present in: KRSMA (Page 66), KPB (Page 70, 2019 Plan), City of Kenai (Page 55, 2016 Plan), 2022 Conservation Action Plan (Page 25), Kenai River Review (Page 19)
- Focus: Zoning policies to minimize habitat damage, guide public access, and protect riparian areas
- Education and Outreach: Engage communities to promote habitat zoning (KPB, Page 72), (2022 Climate Change Supplement, Page 20)
Changes Facing Salmon Ecosystems Poster
January 2, 2025Rivers along the Gulf of Alaska (which includes the Kenai River) produce one-third of the world’s wild salmon, and overall salmon production here is near historic highs, despite many struggling populations of species like Chinook and coho salmon. Wild salmon face risks from a rapidly changing climate, landscape change, and ocean acidification – among other threats, but may also benefit from warming temperatures and glacial retreat under some circumstances. Management decisions will influence whether Alaskan salmon ecosystems and fishing communities continue to thrive for future generations. Understanding how we can best steward wild salmon for future generations requires that we are humble and always strive to place our understanding in the “the big picture” of a complex ecosystem.
The poster above highlights some of our challenges and opportunities. It is available free for download. For more details and references, see the journal manuscript where it is published (Schoen et al. 2017), or check out the Powerpoint presentation available for download from Dr. Erik Schoen at University of Alaska Fairbanks. Kenai Watershed Forum staff Benjamin Meyer is a co-author of this work. Inspiration credit for the poster also goes to the Alaska Climate Science Center, who produced another excellent poster focused on similar themes in southeast Alaska.
Kenai Watershed Forum Works with Volunteers to Document 22.4 miles of Local Salmon Habitat
November 4, 2024Sometimes the best treasures are already right under our feet, just waiting for us to notice them. Such is the story with the thousands of rivers, streams, and lakes that are home to Alaska’s wild salmon.
In summers 2021-2024, Kenai Watershed Forum (KWF) and Kenai Peninsula Chapter of Trout Unlimited (KPTU) worked together to find and document local salmon habitat in the Kenai Peninsula area. Working with over thirty volunteers who contributed over three hundred hours time, we nominated 22.4 miles of stream and 173 lake acres to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Anadromous Waters Catalog. If all nominations are confirmed these waters will be subject to state habitat protections and permitting requirements under Alaska Statute 16.05.871, and may also be adopted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough under borough ordinance 21.18 (links for 21.18 maps, and 21.18 regulations), which specifies protections including a fifty-foot riparian buffer zone.
Remarkably, nearly all the habitat we identified laid only a thirty minute drive from Kenai Watershed Forum’s office in Soldotna. The habitats we documented are the humbler headwaters of well-known local watersheds such as Soldotna Creek, Beaver Creek, and Moose River. These are our “backyard” salmon habitats that have been here all along.
Most local salmon habitat remains undocumented, and much work remains to be accomplished. In summer 2025 KWF and KPTU will continue collaborating, and will apply innovative predictive habitat modeling to help us target fieldwork efforts with help from Romey Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
For more questions about this project and to hear about opportunities to be involved, contact Kenai Watershed Forum at hydrology@kenaiwatershed.org, or (907) 260-5449. Check out the two links below for a project map and project report, as well as a public lecture shared at Kenai Peninsula Brewing as part of Kenai Watershed Forum’s Fireside Chat series. We look forward to hearing from you!
Project Map (updated 11/4/2024)
Project Report (updated 11/4/2024)
KDLL Radio Kenai Conversation – Mapping Anadromous Waters (November 15, 2023)
Project Presentation on YouTube (9/19/2024)
Further reading on mapping Alaska’s Anadromous Waters
This work is funded by Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund project #54014, Trout Unlimited’s Embrace-a-Stream grant program, Kenai Peninsula Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the Kenai Community Foundation. Thank you!
Summer 2024 Kenai River Water Quality Sampling Results Available
September 26, 2024Kenai Watershed Forum has received all laboratory results from it’s Summer 2024 Baseline Water Quality Monitoring. The results are currently being prepared for upload to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Quality Exchange, a pubic data repository for water quality data.
Once the data is prepared, it will be integrated into an in-progress comprehensive summary report, similar to our previous such report published in 2016.
The results are preliminary have not yet been subject to QA/QC checks or analyzed against water quality standards; we expect to complete this by Winter 2024.
We worked with two laboratories in Summer 2024:
1.) Soldotna Wastewater Treatment Plant – SWWTP provided analyses of Total Suspended Solids and Fecal Coliform:
Download Summer 2024 Total Suspended Solids results
Download Summer 2024 Fecal Coliform results
2.) SGS Laboratories, Anchorage – SGS provided analyses of all other substances monitored in Summer 2024, including nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, and metals like zinc, copper, lead, and others:
Download Summer 2024 Metals and Nutrients results
For questions about 2024 water quality results, contact Benjamin Meyer, Water Quality Coordinator. Thank you again to all the participants and volunteers who made this event happen!
Spring 2024 Kenai River Water Quality Sampling Results Available
July 17, 2024Kenai Watershed Forum has received all laboratory results from it’s Spring 2024 Baseline Water Quality Monitoring. The results are currently being prepared for upload to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Quality Exchange, a pubic data repository for water quality data.
Once the data is prepared, it will be integrated into an in-progress comprehensive summary report, similar to our previous such report published in 2016.
The results are preliminary have not yet been subject to QA/QC checks or analyzed against water quality standards; we expect to complete this by Winter 2024.
We worked with two laboratories in Spring 2024:
1.) Soldotna Wastewater Treatment Plant – SWWTP provided analyses of Total Suspended Solids and Fecal Coliform:
Download Spring 2024 Total Suspended Solids results
Download Spring 2024 Fecal Coliform results
2.) SGS Laboratories, Anchorage – SGS provided analyses of all other substances monitored in Spring 2024, including nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, and metals like zinc, copper, lead, and others:
Download Spring 2024 Metals and Nutrients results
For questions about 2023 water quality results, contact Benjamin Meyer, Water Quality Coordinator. Thank you again to all the participants and volunteers who made this event happen!
46 acres of the Kenai River Watershed protected
March 25, 2024Download the full press release here (March 25, 2024)
Since 2020, Homer-based nonprofit Kachemak Heritage Land Trust (KHLT) has helped protect a total of 209.033 acres for conservation within the Kenai River watershed. Kenai Watershed Forum is proud to be a frequent partner for KHLT’s work in the central peninsula region, and will continue to help maintain these protected lands into the future.
As part of the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) mitigation work for the Sterling Highway MP 45-60 Reconstruction Project, KHLT was selected to establish a mechanism to preserve, perpetually care for, and monitor local wetland conservation properties. KHLT’s role has been to find, assess, select, and secure specific lands to protect on the Kenai Peninsula.
The value of KHLT’s work hits close to home for those of us living in the central peninsula area:
“The lands protected by Kachemak Heritage Land Trust as part of this project are part of my neighborhood’s ‘backyard’ where I regularly see all manner of local wildlife, including moose, bears, eagles, and even the occasional caribou. It is truly heartening to know that we will be able to share this space in perpetuity as our community grows. These lands mean a lot to me professionally as a scientist who studies water quality and fish habitat, but they mean even more to me as a place that will persist as wild long beyond my time.”
– KWF Environmental Scientist Benjamin Meyer
Banking on the Kenai River
March 13, 2024All of us who love the Kenai River do our best to not “love it to death.” By being good stewards of our rivers and riverbanks, we can help ensure that fish and wildlife habitat remains healthy.
Some bank erosion happens naturally as rivers meander over time, but erosion from human activities often happens at a pace that harms fish habitat.
On the Kenai River, one of the world’s most popular destinations for sport fisherman hoping to hook a salmon, some areas of shoreline are riddled with unofficial trails that cause banks to erode. Over time this leads to lost and degraded habitat, especially for juvenile salmon. It is all of our responsibility to do our best to keep this shoreline habitat intact.
In heavily trafficked shoreline areas, the best solution may be to install elevated light penetrating walkway (ELP). For less-trafficked areas, spruce tree cabling (sometimes called “revetment”) or other options may be the best solution. If you are interested in restoring or stabilizing shoreline on your own property, funding and technical assistance is available to assist you from the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game’s Cost Share Program; follow the link for more information.
Reference: Streambank Revegetation and Protection: A Guide for Alaska
In our own backyard …
Near Kenai Watershed Forum’s office in Soldotna, we have been working to address a shoreline erosion issue right out our back door. An eight-acre conservation easement property donated by one of Soldotna’s earliest homestead families, the Mullens, has been having issues with riparian vegetation trampling. To address this issue, Kenai Watershed Forum is using the dual-pronged approach of restoration and education. By installing shoreline spruce trees, replanting vegetation, installing new signs, and monitoring the area weekly in summer months, we aim to restore the natural qualities of this stretch of shorline.
We presented this project the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce in March 2024. Click the image below to download the presentation. And if you have an idea for another restoration project, please reach out to us.
See you out on the river!
Click the image below to download the presentation
Wetlands on the Kenai Peninsula
March 12, 2024The Kenai Peninsula is lucky to have the Cook Inlet Wetlands map, a highly detailed map covering the lowland areas outside of federally managed lands (Chugach National Forest and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge). Wetlands are an important part our local “green infrastructure,” filtering water, providing wildlife habitat, and providing protection from floods.
The map and information can be accessed on our website, as well as on the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s viewKPB map website under the “Landscape” layers menu. Check out the maps to learn more about wetlands near your neighborhood or other favorite areas.
I want to build something … Do I need a permit?
Our office regularly receives inquiries from property owners about what they can and can not do related to wetlands. While we are excited to provide education and resources on this topic, for inquiries related to construction and development please contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska Field Office (USACE), which is the relevant regulatory agency for wetlands.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska Contacts
- Kenai Field Office Number: (907) 753-2689
- General Alaska Field Office Number: (907) 753-2712
- Send written inquiries at https://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Contact/
Where else can I learn more?
Two local resource guides, “On the River,” and “On the Coast,” are available for free online and highlight best practices for land management on waterfront property in the Kenai Borough. For free printed copies of these books, contact the Kenai River Center or stop by Kenai Watershed Forum’s office. The books both contain clear and concise information about how land owners can be responsible neighbors with fish and wildlife habitat, including wetlands. You can also read more about how Kenai Peninsula wetlands have changed since the 1950’s in this report (Gracz 2021).
We look forward to hearing from you!
What’s that salmon species?
March 12, 2024Come pick up your free Identicard at our office (44129 Sterling Hwy) today!
Here at Kenai Watershed Forum it’s that time of the year again to prepare for teaching at the annual Kenai River Guide Academy (www.krga.org). The five-day academy is a required training for all new guides working on the Kenai River, and covers topics from boating regulations to caring for one’s catch and more.
For the last several years, KWF board member Dr. David Wartinbee and KWF Environmental Scientist Benjamin Meyer have co-taught a section on stream ecology and the salmon lifecycle. You can watch a series of recorded lectures form this training for free on our YouTube channel.
Before any Alaskan fisherman picks up a pole or net, they should be intimately familiar with how to ID all species of Pacific salmon. As a handy reference, we recommend downloading the printouts below to your phone. Or, stop by our office (44129 Sterling Hwy, by Soldotna Creek park) any time to pick up a free handy waterproof Ident-i-Card, which will help new fisherman quickly learn species ID.
See you out on the river!
Click to Download Salmon ID Pages
Images courtesy Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
In Case You Missed It: The Many States of Alaska’s Salmon and People
January 16, 2024How are Alaska’s salmon doing? There is no one single answer to this question, but rather many.
In April 2023, we were joined for an insightful lecture on the state of Alaska’s salmon and people from University of Alaska Fairbanks Fisheries Professor Dr. Peter Westley. In this video, Peter takes us on a compelling thirty minute tour of Alaska’s wild salmon and the people who rely on them today. Why are Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon runs setting all-time records while King Salmon runs around the state struggle? What opportunities and threats are on the horizon? What can people control about wild salmon, and what can’t we control?
Check out the video below to learn more!
