Ground water is also used for bottled water export and many industrial operations, such as mining. Warm ground water discharging to the Chilkat River allows the river to stay unfrozen in the early winter. This has allowed a late run of salmon to become established and over 3,000 bald eagles gather in the early winter to feed on the fish. In the spring, much of the ground water recharge comes from snow melt. Ground water generally discharges to lakes and streams, but may discharge into the oceans.
Some ground water is removed, via wells, using pumps.
The Division of Mining, Land and Water, Water Management Section , oversees the management and appropriation of Alaska's ground water. Petroleum products are the primary pollutants of ground waters in Alaska. Urban runoff is the most common pollutant source in Alaska. The Alaska Hydrologic Survey performs meteorological studies, often as components of larger hydrologic investigations or projects. The Alaska Hydrologic Survey maintains several public information databases, in various formats.