Assessment of coastal water resources and watershed conditions at Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Hood E, Eckert G, Nagorski S, Talus C. 2006. Assessment of coastal water resources and watershed conditions at Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR-2006/346. National Park Service, Water Resources Division. Fort Collins, Colorado
The focus of this report is the coastal water resources within and around Wrangell-St Elias, which consist of both freshwater and marine ecosystems. The coastal region of WRST stretches from Icy Bay to Yakutat Bay and consists of approximately 1.9 million acres (768,906 hectares) located along 125 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Alaska. This remote coastal area, although largely glaciated, is ecologically rich containing nearly 1000 acres (404.69 hectares) of intertidal communities and abundant wetlands and coastal streams. Coastal WRST is an important migratory route for numerous bird species and contains spawning areas for salmon, steelhead and Dolly Varden. Coastal water resources are critical from the standpoint of both biological integrity and human utilization of national parks. The diversity and quality of freshwater and marine habitats determines the distribution of plants and animals within the park and provides aesthetic and recreational opportunities for park users. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current condition and possible impairments, both natural and anthropogenic, of water resources in the coastal region of WRST. The report inventories coastal water resources and reviews their conditions based on currently available data and information. In addition, the report identifies gaps in data and information that hinder the assessment of water resources and provides recommendations for future monitoring and mapping of coastal water resources.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Hood, Eran; Eckert, Ginny; Nagorski, Sonia; Talus, Carrie
- Date of Issue
- 2006-01
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Water Resources Division
- Units
- WRD , WRST
- Keywords
- Alsek River, Assessment, ATV, Biological Resources, Climate, Coastal Water Resources, Contaminants, contaminated sites, cruise ships, Disenchantment Bay, EPMT, Fish, Flora, Forestry, glacial recession, Glaciers, Hubbard Glacier, Hydrology, Icy Bay, impairments, Independence Creek, Intertidal, Invasive Species, Inventory, Malaspina Glacier, Marine, Marine Mammals, marine vessels, Mining, natural resource condition assessment, Oil Spills, Ophir Creek, persistant organic pollutants, physical impacts, Plants, Point Source Pollution, Pollutants, Resource assessment, Russell Lake, Seabirds, Sudden Stream, tectonic uplift, Vegetation, Water Quality, Watershed Conditions, Watersheds, Wetlands, Wrangell-St. Elias, WRBIB, WRST, Yakutat, Yakutat Bay