A subsistence thoroughfare in Hoonah will be closed through next Monday. As KHNS’ Claire Stremple reports, that’s for a federal project to improve fish passage in the area.
One of the culverts at Upper Game Creek. (Marlene Duvall)
Natural Resource Specialist Marlene Duvall says Hoonah residents use the 8576 Road to access subsistence opportunities. Locally it’s called Upper Game Creek Road. It’s closed through Monday, August 24th.
“Game Creek watershed is where this project takes place and the actual closure is about 17 miles from Hoonah,” she said.
“And the watershed, this time of year in particular, is valuable to the Hoonah community for access to fishing, hunting and berry picking. So, you know, it really is important that we let folks know it’s going to be closed.”
Duvall says that even though now is an important time for gathering and hunting, the road will be briefly closed to improve subsistence outcomes in the future.
The Hoonah Ranger District will replace three culverts that block fish from returning to spawning grounds. The culverts are not functioning properly to allow fish to move freely up and downstream. Their design created a vertical barrier for fish, and two of the culverts were rusting out.
“Once these three culverts have been replaced, it will essentially restore access for Coho and Dolly Varden to about 2,600 meters of upstream habitat that’s really important for the rearing of the fish,” she said.
Duvall says the additional habitat will contribute to better fish returns because it will improve the chances of healthy fry fish in the area.
It’s a project on Tongass National Forest land, but it’s mostly funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and its Fish Restoration Program which will cover 80 percent of the cost.
Duvall says the project is running smoothly and should be completed on time or even ahead of schedule.
