In March and April of this year, Mt Redoubt was erupting and in the process caused a couple of lahars (volcanic mudflows) that covered the floor of the Drift River valley and sent ash clouds to the north, west, and east (depending on the wind during each event). You can read more about the volcano and eruption at the Alaska Volcano Observatory:
Redoubt Volcano at AVO
Chris Waythomas of the AVO and I received some funds to examine the impacts of the lahars on fish and aquatic habitats of the Drift River. In addition, Dan Young of Lake Clark National Park worked with me (and found funding for a helicopter and my travel to Port Alsworth) to look at potential ashfall impacts outside of the Drift River valley.
I flew to Port Alsworth in July and Dan and I spent a couple days flying around streams near Mt Redoubt. We revisited sites where fish had previously been encountered, measured water quality, and surveyed some sites to improve the map of known fish bearing streams. We saw some spectacular sites and I really enjoy working with Dan in the field.
Departing Port Alsworth:
Dan measuring water quality:
Tuxedni Bay:
Then, in August, Chris Waythomas and I spent a couple days doing the same thing on the Drift River. Where the sites Dan and I visited were not greatly impacted, the Drift River sites were severely impacted.
Mt Redoubt from the Upper Drift River:
Lahar deposits near the volcano:
A site we could not sample because of quicksand:
Chris W. documents lahar deposits near in the lower Drift River:
Following a channel that did contain coho salmon:
A site covered by lahar deposits:
There were still bears:
Then, in August and September, I went back for fun. I fished the McArthur River with Sean Burril and John Seigle during on three different trips.
Our ride on a McArthur River sand bar:
Sean flyfishing for coho salmon:
We ran into Heather, Paul, and Coal:
John hooks a fish as Paul is landing:
John with a nice fish:
Then, late in August, Paul and Brianna Anderson and Dennis Marks and I tried our luck on the Kustatan River. We didn't catch any fish but we did have a great evening. And for me, it was fun because there was someone else taking some pictures!
Brianna and I fish for coho salmon:
Headed to the Kustatan:
I hope to get back a little more, next year. I will definitely be doing some more work on Drift River and will spend a little more time fishing a few more streams in that area.
See my Flickr page for a few more pictures.
Also read about proposed coal mines just north of these streams: Here
