- Temperatures of Juneau Freshwaters on August 12-13, 2019 shows the condition and water temperature of several streams, and ponds along the Juneau Road system.
- With the lack of rainfall and record breaking high temperatures this summer we were concerned about what might be happening to many of the areas where fish live and spawn.
- The high temperatures have been affecting salmon in other areas in Alaska. For information about this look at this article By MARY CATHARINE MARTIN of
SALMONSTATE/sites/default/files/Warm%20waters%20killing%20salmon%20in%20Alaska.pdf - We found some streams were no longer flowing and had very little water. All of these were streams in which salmon, Dolly Varden and in some, cutthroat trout rear in before they go to sea. Probably most of these fish died. This would also be true for any resident Dolly Varden, Cutthroat, Stickleback and Sculpins.
- Jordan Creek, West Creek and a couple streams in the Bridget Cove area were the ones we noticed had stopped flowing. Many of the smaller streams listed in the Bether's et. al. report we had not checked and some of these had probably dryed up also.
- This is the time of year when Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon spawn. Many of the streams we looked at were too low to permit entry of adult salmon. In at least one system, Shrine Creek, it appeared some chum salmon had entered the creek and died without spawning.
- Of interest is one glacial-fed river, Eagle, had lots of chum salmon in the lower areas. These were probably hatchery fish from DIPAC.
- Some of the areas had water temperatures in the sixties and low seventies. This may have contributed to low oxygen levels. This was especially evident in Twin Lakes, Kingfisher Pond, Peterson Creek and Peterson Salt Chuck and a few of the small streams.
- Some small streams had fairly good flow and the temperature indicated they may be fed mostly by springs.
- One of these near the Echo Cove parking lot had been mostly destroyed by off road vehicles.
- For good information about the value of these streams for fish look at Juneau Fish Habitat Assessment by Bethers, Monk and Seifert
- For good information about the importance of oxygen etc for fish in these streams look at Interactive physical and biotic factors control dissolved oxygen in salmon spawning streams in coastal Alaska by Jason B. Fellman1,2 · Eran Hood2 · Sonia Nagorski2 · John Hudson3 · Sanjay Pyare /sites/default/files/2018%20Oct%20salmon%20and%20DO%20Fellmanetal_Aquat_Sci_0.pdf
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