2024 Hoonah Native Forest Partnership Stream Restoration Rounds-out Work Started in 2017

The Hoonah Native Forest Partnership crew “finished” the work that began in 2017 on a tributary to Spasski River. In 2017, this tributary was the HNFP’s first-ever hand tool stream restoration project. That project was added onto in 2019, and then in 2024 we added on over 600 meters meters of restoration. Why three times? There’s a few answers to that :

1. It can take “multiple touches” to a stream to complete a restoration. We did the work in 2017 and watched the stream as it changed significantly. The downcutting we saw disappeared as the structures held back sediment.
2. Streams change a lot over time. Our assessments didn’t initially identify the 2024 reach as needing wood because it seemed to be functioning OK. However, surveys in 2023 found that the stream was functioning at risk and in a ‘downward trend’ meaning that the logs and habitat were breaking down and that new wood was needed in the stream.
3. The stream likely eroded a lot in the December 2020 rain event that was labeled as a “200-500 year” event the National Weather Service. Streams that were heavily impacted by logging such as our restoration reach are less able to handle large water events like that, because 40 years post logging the wood in the stream degrades and breaks down. This could be why we noticed that stream function was worse in our 2023 surveys.

Where is the Restoration Site?

The Restoration Site is located in Spasski Watershed. For those that live in Hoonah, if you turn at the “Spasski : The Working Watershed” sign across the Spasski Bridge, the project site is 3/4 of a mile up the road on your right. The stream is viewable into the Google Earth map below.

How did we do it?

Like most of our stream restoration projects we use hand-tools to complete the work. We use axes to uproot trees, and hand-powered winches to pull them into the creek. We use chainsaws to fell trees and sharpen their ends so they may be pulled into a bank for anchoring. Each structure is customized based on the trees we have at hand with a specific goal in mind. Some structures are made to capture sediment, some are designed to make pools, and others may be used to confine a river. Our crew has learned a lot over the last 7 years of doing these and each year they get better and better!

Most of the structures built this year were designed to “hold grade”. This means we want sediment to accumulate behind them to make a resulting pool on the other side and raise the bottom of the creek bed up. We installed structures at 14 sites in just 7days – that’s a record number of sites for us to complete on a restoration project! Doing it with hand tools take a lot of work and problem solving, but by moving slow we reduce the impact to the stream compared to using machinery to move the wood.

Partnerships/Funding/Thank-You’s

This project occurred on Huna Totem land – Gunalchéesh for their support of the work. It was funded by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The project was completed by dedicated workers from Hoonah Indian Association, Hoonah Native Forest Partnership Crew, U.S. Forest Service Staff, and Sealaska Intern Program. Gunalchéesh to all who made this work happen for now and for our future generations!