Tanada Creek Fish Weir

Cleaning the Tanada Creek Fish Weir

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve operates a fish weir on Tanada Creek to monitor adult salmon migration. Tanada Creek is a third-order perennial stream and a tributary to the Upper Copper River in southcentral interior Alaska. Tanada Creek sockeye salmon are one of the uppermost runs of sockeye in the Copper River and support subsistence salmon fisheries in both the Copper River and in the creek. The monitoring and evaluation of these runs is essential to ensure that Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve maintains natural and healthy populations as required by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Data collected at the weir are used for in-season management of the local subsistence fishery.

This creek is also significant due to its association with the Batzulnetas subsistence fishery. Batzulnetas is the Ahtna name for the traditional fishing site on Tanada Creek that has been used by the Ahtna people for more than 1,000 years. Descendants of earlier inhabitants, who now live in two native villages in the area, still utilize its resources for cultural education purposes as well as subsistence fishing. The Batzulnetas fishery was the subject of lawsuits from 1985 to 2000 as Ahtna elders Katie John, Doris Charles, and others attempted to reestablish their traditional subsistence fishery. The “Katie John Decision” resulted in the expansion of Federal management of fisheries in waters under Federal jurisdiction throughout Alaska.

The weir site is about 16 km southeast of the community of Slana and 250 meters downstream from the Batzulnetas fish camp. A weir is a fence like barrier set across a stream that blocks the passage of fish but allows water to pass. The weir panels are made of evenly spaced tubular pickets extending across the entire creek. A chute is placed at an opening in this barrier and forms a narrow passage through which the fish can migrate upstream. There is an underwater video recording system that observers use to identify and count the passing fish. Water temperature and depth are also recorded daily. The floating design of the weir performs well in the dynamic flows of the Tanada Creek system. It requires minimal maintenance once installed, and during flood events debris can pass over the flexible weir.

Watch an underwater video of salmon swimming up Tanada Creek.

 

Sockeye Salmon Counts

Year

Sockeye Salmon

2017

2016

2015

2014

23,849

13,778

9,271

28,258

2013

52,162

2012

20,022

2011

8,969

2010

5,226

2009

38,208

2008

flooded, no season count

2007

11,103

2006

4,514

2005

flooded, no season count

2004

17,120

2003

5,856

2002

no season count

2001

no season count

2000

no weir

1999

no weir

1998

28,992

1997

27,521


Last updated: October 4, 2022

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
PO Box 439
Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway

Copper Center, AK 99573

Phone:

907 822-5234

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