Brilliant green vegetation hugs a small creek bed. Rays of sunlight filter through the leaves and strike the water.

Pacific Salmon Resiliency

BLM-managed public lands in the upper Yukon River portion of Alaska have been the focus of applied research and the application of new techniques regarding stream reclamation since 2013. Many stream reclamation focused demonstration projects have been implemented over the last ten years and serve as outdoor classrooms for agency staff, industry stakeholders, and the public. The BLM host tours of stream restoration accomplishments on Nome Creek and Wade Creek upon request and will continue to coordinate opportunities where project partners can share updates and increase collaboration. The BLM also developed several resources to improve project success across the region including the publication of an interagency Stream Design Guide and Stream Reclamation Basics brochure. Despite these successes, significant habitat rehabilitation opportunities remain.  

 The BLM continues to refine stream rehabilitation techniques while improving riverscape health through targeted restoration work across the BLM Restoration Landscapes (Restoration Landscapes | Bureau of Land Management) in the upper Yukon River region. The bureau’s expanded work within other areas of Gravel to Gravel (Norton Sound, Yukon, and Kuskokwim regions) started this year and will continue into the future. Details about these projects below

 

A person in an orange reflective vest and white hard hat directs heavy equipment operator along stream bank.
Placing vegetation mats, as displayed here, creates "instant" streambanks along a newly constructed section of stream previously impacted from mining. BLM photo