Wade Creek Watershed

Wade Creek is a tributary of the Walker Fork in the Fortymile Wild and Scenic River corridor and has a rich history of placer mining dating back to the mid-1800s. It is accessible by the Taylor Highway and visitors to the area can enjoy spectacular vistas overlooking tributaries of the Fortymile River and learn about the region’s mining history at the Tok Visitor Center and in the community of Chicken. Wade Creek and other streams of the Fortymile watershed support sport fisheries for Arctic grayling and provide diverse boating opportunities (Fortymile Wild and Scenic River | Bureau of Land Management).     

Evidence of current and historic placer mining in the Wade Creek watershed can be seen by visitors and anglers traveling through the area. Large creek sections are on closed federal claims, which can no longer be mined due to their location within the Fortymile Wild and Scenic River unit. Even so, decades after mining ceased, these areas remain degraded.  

Numerous sections of Wade Creek have been treated to improve habitat conditions since 2015. Restoration efforts along Wade Creek are challenging due to a mix of existing (recorded) and closed federal mining claims and constraints imposed by the Taylor Highway which parallels the creek along the valley bottom.  

All BLM-funded habitat enhancement projects have improved stream function except one project that failed during a high-water event three years after construction. That failure added to the bureau’s knowledge and, paired with other project successes, has helped refine our restoration techniques over time.   

Wade Creek’s degraded conditions contribute to repeated closures and on-going maintenance of the Taylor Highway. Habitat rehabilitation work in collaboration with Alaska Department of Transportation is expected to improve stream conditions within the watershed and reduce impacts to existing highway infrastructure  

We are continuing our work to rehabilitate habitats on closed federal claims within the Wade Creek watershed and expand outreach to the many visitors traveling the Taylor Highway. BLM is implementing a strategic and stepwise approach to restoration by focusing on the headwaters and progressing downstream. Reducing erosion and sediment inputs to the stream from historic mine tailings in the upper watershed is a key emphasis, while also focusing on rehabilitating instream habitats and improving floodplain revegetation where appropriate. A comprehensive long-term monitoring program will assess the effectiveness of restoration within the watershed. The Taylor Highway parallels Wade Creek for most of its length, so the BLM is working with stakeholders to develop information kiosks that will help tell the mining history of the area, as well as the challenges associated with restoring stream and floodplain conditions.