Valley projects benefit from ‘Clean Water Actions Grants’

Frontiersman.com

MAT-SU — Six Valley efforts will benefit from a pool of $424,000 Alaska Clean Water Actions grants distributed this year to further the state’s clean water objectives.

Several of the projects help boaters learn how to minimize their environmental impact. Department of Environmental Conservation has supported local efforts on Big Lake and the Little Susitna River to teach clean boating practices. Grants issued this year will expand the effort to other fishing venues in the Mat-Su.

Grants are balanced between projects that protect water quality and ones that restore waters considered polluted or impaired. The grant funds come from a combination of federal water quality grants with matching funds provided by the grant recipients

For more information about ACWA and the list of priority waters and actions, visit http://tinyurl.com/m2yhk4q.

Below are summaries of the Alaska Clean Water Actions Grants awarded in the Mat-Su area for projects starting in July and finishing in June 2015.

• Big Lake Management Plan Revision, Agnew Beck Consulting LLC — $28,616.

This project addresses an ACWA restoration priority. In 2006, Big Lake was identified as impaired (polluted) from petroleum hydrocarbons. This project is focused on amending the 1998 Lake Management Plan. With support from the community council, the project will start by educating the public on how revising the 1998 Lake Management Plan could help to reduce the petroleum hydrocarbons in the lake. Once authorization to amend the plan is received from the community, the grant recipients will produce an amended plan, and subsequently work with the community and Mat-Su Borough officials to seek adoption of the amended plan.

• Clean Boating in the Susitna Valley, Cook Inletkeeper — $55,000.

This project addresses both ACWA restoration and protection priorities and expands on an ongoing program. Since 2010, DEC, in conjunction with Cook Inletkeeper and local partners, has been educating boat owners at Big Lake and the Little Susitna River on the importance of clean boating practices. This project continues the education activities at these sites and adds the Deshka River boat landing.

• Cottonwood Creek Septic Smart: Homeowner Outreach, Mat-Su Resource Conservation Development Council — $23,450.

This project addresses an ACWA restoration priority and expands ongoing efforts. Cottonwood Creek is polluted from fecal coliform bacteria. This project will work with homeowners, local engineers and septic system pumping services to expand pumping cooperatives that share costs where one street with several home septic systems can be inspected and serviced at the same time at reduced costs. To date, several local septic pumping companies are willing to offer a discounted rate for the co-op. Outreach to the local neighborhoods adjacent to Cottonwood Creek has been conducted and at least one co-op is anticipated to be formed shortly. The project now seeks to expand the number of participants in co-ops. The project will also include an education component to raise awareness of how septic systems can impact water quality in the creek and ways homeowners can reduce this risk.

• Matanuska River Assessment, Palmer Soil and Water Conservation District — $16,800.

This project addresses an ACWA restoration priority. A portion of the Matanuska River is impaired because of an unpermitted disposal area. Items in the disposal area include automobiles, appliances, abandoned drums, railroad cars and other recently disposed household items. The grant recipients will work with DEC and the landowner to develop a debris removal and disposal alternative plan including needed permits. The plan will include a cost estimate of options.

• Willow Water Quality Habitat Assessment, Aquatic Restoration and Research Institute — $47,000.

This project addresses an ACWA protection priority to evaluate water quality and aquatic habitat of Willow Creek, an important salmon and rainbow trout stream in the Mat-Su Borough. Riparian development in combination with recent flooding may be increasing bank erosion. Increased development in the watershed may also be impacting water quality. This project will evaluate Willow Creek for physical characteristics, physical habitat, biotic communities, and riparian development. A final report will detail the current ecological condition of Willow Creek.

• Decreasing Sewage Discharges from Alaska Boaters, Cook Inlet Keeper — $43,223.

This project addresses an ACWA Protection priority. This project will partner with the Alaska Clean Harbors project to educate boaters and harbormasters on the importance of proper sewage management to protect public health. It will also obtain feedback on the barriers to proper sewage pump-out use and increase the number of harbor facilities in Alaska with working sewage pump-out units. With more than 68,000 recreational motorboat users in Alaska, it is clear that many Alaskans enjoy boating around the coast, bays and other inlets. Human sewage from boats can contain harmful bacteria contaminating local waters and shellfish beds. A final report describing accomplishments and avenues for increasing pump-out use will be provided.