Preliminary Results of the US Geological Survey Alaska Transboundary Rivers Monitoring Project

Authors: Hamblen, Jenn, US Geological Survey; Moran, Patrick, US Geological Survey; Conaway, Jeff, US Geological Survey. Host, Randy, US Geological Survey

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Abstract

Proposed and ongoing mining activities in Canada have caused concern within Southeast Alaska communities and Tribes about the potential impacts from mining on local foods, especially salmon, and on the economies of commercial and sport fishing in the region. Three proposed megaprojects in this region would be larger than the current biggest mine, Red Chris in the Stikine watershed. Also, a historic mine in the Salmon watershed within a few kilometers of the US border is scheduled to reopen in 2023. These concerns led to funding from Congress for the US Geological Survey to sample water quality and measure discharge at gaging stations on five Transboundary rivers in Southeast Alaska. Sampling began on the Unuk River in 2017 and by 2020 included the Alsek, Taku, Stikine, and Salmon Rivers. To date, over 140 samples have been taken at the five stream gaging sites. Water quality sampling preliminary results midway through the project suggest that the two most southern rivers, the Unuk and Salmon, have elevated concentrations of metals such as copper and zinc compared to the other three rivers. The Transboundary project is ongoing, with the goal of collecting at least five years of samples in all seasons at the five gaging stations in order to describe current conditions and develop surrogate models from continuous, real-time water quality data collected at each site. The project has also fostered new working relationships between Southeast Alaska Tribes and some Canadian First Nations via a water quality monitoring working group.

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