Mat-Su Conservation Services offers presentation on Nunley Park-Lake Lucile Watershed project during Wasilla City Council meeting

WASILLA — Mat-Su Conservation Services owner Catherine Cheadle offered a presentation on the Nunley Park-Lake Lucile Watershed project during the most recent regularly scheduled Wasilla City Council meeting.

Cheadle said that her local consulting business handles numerous projects such as salmon stream habitats, hands-on youth activities, and natural resource education and planning.

Cheadle’s presentation outlined past stormwater management projects in the community to explain how they got to where they are today with the Nunley Park-Lake Lucile Watershed project

The DEC collects annual water quality data reports and deems any body of water that exceeds certain thresholds of pollutants impaired, according to Cheadle. She said Lake Lucille is one of these impaired bodies of water, prompting action to improve the overall quality. She added that annual grants are awarded to help deal with these issues across the state.

Cheadle said they identified two major areas to focus on regarding this current stormwater management project: demonstrating the effectiveness of green infrastructure and conducting public outreach to raise awareness of stormwater management at Iditapark.

“What makes this project distinguished is that we’re having demonstrations of how to do some of these green infrastructure, low impact development techniques," Cheadle said. “We’re using these techniques all over Alaska. It can save money long term. It also just ties into a lot of the habit values.”

For more information about Mat-Su Conservation Services and the Nunley Park-Lake Lucile Watershed project, email matsuconservation@gmail.com

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com