Organization: ANCHORAGE WATERWAYS COUNCIL
Mission: TO PROTECT, RESTORE, AND ENHANCE THE WATERWAYS, WETLANDS, AND ASSOCIATED UPLANDS OF ANCHORAGE
Activities: . THE CITIZENS' ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM (CEMP) CONTINUED IN ITS 21ST YEAR. EACH VOLUNTEER WATER QUALITY MONITOR SPENDS APPROXIMATELY 60 HOURS/YEAR TESTING CREEKS, TAKING PHOTOS, INCUBATING FECAL COLIFORM TESTS AND COUNTING THE RESULTANT COLONIES, AND FILLING OUT DATA SHEETS TO REPORT THEIR RESULTS. ANCHORAGE WATERWAYS COUNCIL (AWC) WAS ASKED AGAIN BY THE ANCHORAGE AUDUBON SOCIETY TO PERFORM FECAL COLIFORM TESTS ON CONNORS LAKE BECAUSE OF CONCERN FOR THE NESTING LOONS THAT RETURN THERE EVERY YEAR. CUDDY POND, WHICH HAD HIGH FECAL COLIFORM COUNTS WHEN TESTED, WAS MONITORED AFTER SOME BMPS (BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES) HAD BEEN INSTALLED. THESE HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING FECAL COLIFORM LEVELS DRAMATICALLY. THE MONOFILAMENT (FISHING LINE) COLLECTION PROGRAM HAS PARTNERED WITH A UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE BIOLOGY CLASS TO EMPTY THE BINS AND RETURN THE MONOFILAMENT TO A COMPANY FOR RECYCLING INTO FISH HABITAT. TO DATE, OVER 1000 MILES OF USED FISHING LINE HAVE BEEN RECYCLED.
OUTREACH: 2. AWC HAS FIVE PRIMARY OUTREACH PROGRAMS. "CREEKS AS CLASSROOMS" IS AIMED AT ANCHORAGE YOUTH IN SCHOOLS OR CAMPS. LOCAL CREEKS AND LAKES ARE USED AS OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS TO INTRODUCE ~5,000 YOUNG PEOPLE ANNUALLY TO LOCAL WATERWAYS, RIPARIAN HABITAT, AND STEWARDSHIP PRINCIPLES. STORMWATER RUNOFF AND WATERSHED EDUCATION IS PROVIDED TO ALL CITIZENS IN ANCHORAGE THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEANS IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF RUNOFF INTO LOCAL WATERWAYS. THIS IS PART OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE'S STORMWATER APDES PERMIT (ALASKA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM) THAT IS ADMINISTERED BY THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ON BEHALF OF THE EPA. EVERY MAY FOR THE PAST 35 YEARS, AWC CONDUCTS A LARGE CREEK CLEANUP EVENT. IN 2019 OVER 800 VOLUNTEERS CLEANED CREEKS AND LAKES DURING A 5 DAY PERIOD. TRASH AND RECYCLABLES ARE PULLED FROM LOCAL WATERWAYS AND DISPOSED OF PROPERLY. AWC'S ANNUAL MEETING WAS HELD IN APRIL 2019 AND FOCUSED ON POSITIVE CHANGES HAPPENING IN ANCHORAGE'S CREEKS. AWC'S SCOOP THE POOP PROGRAM IS AIMED AT REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF PET WASTE THAT IS NOT PICKED UP WHICH ENDS UP IMPAIRING LOCAL CREEKS AND LAKES. A SCOOP THE POOP DAY IS HELD IN APRIL TO CLEAN UP SOME LOCAL DOG PARKS AND EDUCATE PET OWNERS.
PLANNING 3. IN 2019 AWC CONTINUED TO UPDATE THE CHESTER CREEK AND LITTLE CAMPBELL CREEK WATERSHED PLANS IN ADDITION TO WORKING ON THE NEW CAMPBELL CREEK WATERSHED PLAN. WITH SEVERAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY, MANY OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPAIRED FISH PASSAGE ARE BEING FIXED ALONG WITH OTHER ACTION ITEMS IN THE PLANS.
NTEE category: Environment
Secondary category: Animal-Related