As part of the Ketchikan Pulp Company Long-Term Timber
Sale Contract and the 1997 Settlement Agreement, the Forest
Service has agreed to monitor the Thorne Bay landfill site.
The site includes 3 landfills about 1.5 miles
west of the City of Thorne Bay on Prince of Wales Island.
The landfills were used for disposal of wood wastes, municipal
wastes, and industrial wastes generated from logging and
log handling operations.
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Substrate of landfill stream showing
iron flocculent
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Fish personnel measuring
fish captured
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Three streams drain the landfills, two of which enter
the Thorne River estuary and
are fish-bearing. The Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) had concerns about not meeting Alaska
Water Quality Standards. The source of the concern is the
elevated iron and manganese concentrations in localized portions
of the streams. To address these concerns, ADEC requested
the Forest Service conduct long-term monitoring to demonstrate
recovery of water quality over time. In addition, the Alaska
Department of Natural Resources, Office of Habitat, Management,
and Permitting (ADNR Habitat), also requested the Forest
Service conduct annual fish surveys of the two fish-bearing
streams at the landfill site as part of the review process. |
Fish sampling involves a three-pass removal survey using minnow traps.
Fish are identified, tallied and measured, and a population
estimate is determined.
Water quality information, including water temperature, pH, dissolved
oxygen, is collected, and iron and manganese levels
are measured. |
Minnow traps fishing in stream
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Juvenile Dolly Varden char
Juvenile coho salmon
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Sampling of fish populations and water quality will continue
through 2008 to determine if there are any apparent statistically
significant trends for the fish populations or water quality.
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