Dengler Images

Bear and human conflicts along Chilkoot River corridor

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A grizzly bear is surrounded by tourists at the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska. The bear was trying to access the nearby hillside following eating salmon on the river. The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears. This image is a good representation of the problem. Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

I was dismayed but not surprised to hear about the recent bad behavior by visitors to the Chilkoot River corridor near Haines, Alaska.

The narrow mile-long river and road corridor between scenic Chilkoot Lake and the ocean is a popular destination for the 80,000 tourists and sportfishing anglers who visit each year. It’s also popular with hungry grizzly bears who come to the river to feast on the easily accessible salmon.

This mix of people and bears in the confined corridor is a recipe for serious, and potentially dangerous problems.

During peak times, bus loads of tourists from cruise ships, park visitors, and wildlife photographers come to the easily accessed Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site to see grizzly bears. Unfortunately some tourists and photographers crowd the bears to the point of almost surrounding them in their attempt to get a close-up photo.

Additionally, some fishers are sloppy in keeping their coolers, food, beverages, and fishing equipment out of reach of bears. I would have thought everyone knew that human food and bears is a no-no.

The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Because of the salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River bears frequent the river to feast on the salmon. Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. (John L. Dengler)

Cars often stop in the “no-stopping zone” that is set up to allow bears a token travel zone free of humans to travel to and from the river. The narrow road has few pullouts for tourists and fishers, causing traffic and congestion.

I don’t know which of the above human transgressions is worse. I do know any of them are bad news for bears, should the bear harm a human. I often hear people say that this is a “bear-management” issue but in reality it is “human-management” issue. The bears are only doing what they have done for centuries. In my opinion, perhaps the humans are the ones needing “managing.”

Last month a new height of absurdity took place on the Chilkoot River when a man dressed up in a realistic bear costume. He approached and harassed a sow and her cubs by jumping up and down and waving his arms, supposedly getting within 10 feet of the cubs. While the incident might sound like a goofy YouTube video, there is no humor in this. A mother bear will do anything, and I mean anything, if she senses her cubs are in danger. The stunt placed the bear-costumed man in danger and the lives of anyone close by. During the summer and fall bears are on a mission. They have a limited amount of time to eat enough to make it through winter hibernation. Expending extra energy to deal with non-essential activities is a real threat to their survival. It’s not a laughing matter. Alaska State Troopers are investigating the incident.

I recall the first time I went to the Chilkoot River; specifically to photograph bears. It was summer, during one of the salmon runs — lots of people fishing and hoards tourists. It was crazy. Traffic was backed up on the narrow two-lane road, scared bears were trying to find a way back to the woods, people were running with a bears in the vicinity, dogs were off leash. I was dumbstruck.

In the past the state has hired “bear monitors” (I think they should be called “people monitors”) to help educate Chilkoot River visitors on the “do’s and don’t’s” of being around grizzlies. Unfortunately state budget cutbacks have eliminated those positions. Local bear conservation groups like the Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation and the Great Bear Foundation work hard to educate people on the role of bears, their importance, and how bears and humans can maintain a healthy, workable relationship. But those efforts can only go so far, these volunteers lack the authority to issue tickets or fines.

Next summer, the state plans to start construction of bear-viewing platform, and make road improvements to improve parking and the flow of cars on the narrow road. Some local residents however are skeptical that even these actions will improve the situation. There is not a simple solution.  Mixed use areas are complex to manage and the solutions are unique. This area is unlike other popular accessible bear viewing locations in Alaska. The challenge centers on the fact that the area is trying to be too many things, to too many different types of users.

The Chilkoot River corridor between Chilkoot Lake (upper left) and Lutak Inlet of the Lynn Canal (bottom right) is a popular sport fishing spot and a culturally important Tlingit historic site. The river area is also popular with grizzly bears who also come for the salmon who spawn in the Chilkoot River. While this concentration of bears makes for exciting bear viewing for visitors, the narrow corridor in which humans and bears must pass can lead to dangerous encounters. The Alaska Legislature has approved $1 million for a bear-viewing platform aimed at reducing encounters between bears and visitors to the scenic corridor. This area is part of the popular Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site. In the upper reaches of the Chilkoot River Valley (not pictured) there have been proposals to dam the outlet of Connelly Lake, a high alpine lake above the Chilkoot River, for a hydroelectric project. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. Alaska Power and Telephone announced in June 2013 that it was putting the project on hold citing difficulty securing funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the lack of community support. Despite these setbacks AP&T says that it not abandoning pursuing the project. In early September 2013, the Haines Borough announced that it was exploring possibly filing for a preliminary permit now that the project was no longer being pursued by AP&T. (John L. Dengler)

The image above shows the narrow corridor of the Chilkoot River as it runs from Chilkoot Lake (upper left) to the ocean at Lutak Inlet (bottom). The narrow two-lane road is visible on the left side of the river.

Do I think people should be discouraged from going here? Absolutely not. The Chilkoot River corridor is beautiful, has amazing fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities (bald eagles also frequent the area, particularly in the fall). But I would caution visitors to be smart, respect the wildlife, and to do no harm to the wildlife either intentionally or unintentionally. Remember wildlife is just that, WILD. These aren’t the critters that you pet at an animal farm or petting zoo. Don’t even think that you can pose for a “selfie” with these bears. Recent headlines from Yellowstone National Park have touted that tourists haven’t had much luck taking selfies with the bison there. Getting gored by a bison is bad, being attacked by an adult grizzly is equally terrifying and deadly.

A grizzly bear, known by locals as Sketchy, catches a salmon in the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska. The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears. Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

If you visit during the off season, you might have the Chilkoot River corridor to yourself. If you are lucky enough to experience that, it will be a treasured memory. That was my experience the last time I visited the Chilkoot River. Technically, I was with another person, but the entire stretch of the river was devoid of humans. We were talking, well away from the human-free bear travel zone, watching eagles on the river when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a grizzly bear poke its face out of the shadows of the woods directly behind us. The grizzly then proceeded to walk past us by about 15 feet. While it was a close encounter that I will never forget, I was troubled. Bears are by nature scared of humans. They really don’t want to have anything to do with us. The fact that this bear chose, on his own, to travel within 15 feet of us is, in my opinion, indicative of a serious problem.

Please don’t put wildlife at risk. Be smart, and follow rules and guidelines to keep wildlife, “wild.”

A grizzly bear, known by locals as Sketchy, walks along the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska. The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears. Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

ABOVE: While the grizzly bear appears to be walking next to me, in reality that is not the case. I took this photo from a bridge. Because I was on the bridge, the bear was able to move freely. The use of a long 600mm lens made the bear seem much closer than it was. I normally prefer to photograph wildlife in situations away from tourists and other photographers. But when I do photograph in these situations, I make sure I give wildlife the space it needs. Just because you see a hoard of other folks engulfing a bear, doesn’t mean that it is ok for you to join the scrum.

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Collecting DNA samples from grizzly bear saliva, SAY WHAT?

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Sometimes I get pretty odd looks from friends and family when I tell them the places I’m traveling to, or the things I’m going to photograph. The following fits into that category. Roughly, this is how my phone call from Alaska to Carol back home in Missouri went.

ME: (excited) “Remember Rachel Wheat, the ecologist PhD. candidate from the University of California Santa Cruz who I photographed trapping bald eagles to study movement patterns based on salmon availability?”

CAROL: “Sure, I remember her project and the photos you took. Really interesting work, catching the eagles and then tracking where they went with the GPS transmitters.”

ME: “Well, I just found out that as part of her dissertation, she is also collecting DNA from grizzly bears by sampling their saliva.”

CAROL: (a moment of silence, then) “Say what!?”

ME: (still excited) Yeah, it’s really cool. She’s going to let me document her as she goes about sampling. She samples the saliva left on salmon carcasses that bears have fed on. The technique is pretty much like they do on TV crime shows using cotton swabs. I’ve already been working on a different project on the same creek where she’ll be working. There are carcasses everywhere! The place must be a hornet’s nest of bears based on the fish remains I’ve seen.

CAROL: “Ah, (hesitantly) You be careful. All the dead fish sounds stinky.”

And so I was off once again to document Wheat and her work.

The search for bear drool

My interest in the work of scientists goes back to my time as a photojournalist at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Among my favorite assignments were feature stories on research being conducted by biologists, botanists, ecologists, geologists, foresters and conservationists. These assignments invariably led to learning about interesting work in interesting places.

This has been the case with my documenting Wheat’s work near Haines, Alaska the past two years. As mentioned earlier, I have already photographed Wheat working on one of the cornerstones of her dissertation project, the capturing and tracking bald eagles from the Chilkat River. This past summer she finished the field work for the other two parts of her project. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen.

Finding salmon carcasses was relatively easy for Wheat. It was the middle of September during the fall chum salmon run. Once the salmon spawn, they die. They make for easy pickings for the wildlife that feeds on them.

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, searches for salmon carcasses on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

A chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) powers its way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. The chum salmon is returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

The spawning chum salmon were frantically rushing up the small creek where Wheat was sampling. I couldn’t help but think that the noise of their flapping tails in the shallow water had to be have been heard by the bears in the woods. The night before I met Wheat at the creek an Alaska State Trooper reported seeing seven bears in the area. Luckily, there were no chance encounters with bears but Wheat was prepared for one with an air horn and bear spray within quick reach on her backpack should they become necessary to use.

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, searches for salmon carcasses on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

It had been raining and Wheat was concerned about how the rain might affect the quality of today’s samples. Many of the salmon carcasses revealed that the brains of the fish, a tasty favorite of the bears, had been surgically removed and eaten.

Bears aren’t the only ones dining on the salmon remains. So are the eagles. That’s not surprising since the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve includes the creek area where Wheat was sampling. During late fall, bald eagles congregate in the Chilkat Valley to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles is believed to be among the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. It is also part of the reason why Wheat chose the Chilkat River eagles to see how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement.

Sampling the salmon for bear saliva is straight out of the tv show, CSI: Las Vegas. Rachel gloves up with latex gloves to avoid contamination, then uses a swab to wipe across areas of a carcass where an animal is likely to have left their drool. Teeth holes are are also poked into with a swab.

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, takes a bear saliva DNA sample from a partially consumed salmon on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, takes a bear saliva DNA sample from a partially consumed salmon on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, takes a bear saliva DNA sample from a partially consumed salmon on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, places a vial containing a sample of bear saliva on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. A partially consumed chum salmon lies on the banks of the spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, enters the notes for a DNA sample she has taken onto her box of bear saliva samples she has collected from salmon on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, records information onto a vial containing a bear saliva swab sample she collected from a salmon on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, uses a GPS to record the location a salmon carcass from which she has taken a bear saliva DNA sample from on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, photographs a salmon carcass from which she has taken a bear saliva DNA sample from on the banks of the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek, near Haines, Alaska. Wheat is collecting DNA samples of bears from bear saliva left on salmon carcasses as part of research for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individuals. She also looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence. The bear DNA collection is part of her dissertation which looks at how the availability of salmon affects eagle movement, bear activity, and subsistence fishermen. EDITORS NOTE: Images of Wheat capturing bald eagles for the bald eagle portion of her study are available here: http://denglerimages.photoshelter.com/gallery/Bald-eagle-research-Chilkat-River-eagle-migration-study/G0000GTyPvah7eiQ/ During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Wheat then snaps off the long wooden stick portion of the sampling stick and places the cotton swab portion in a small vial of sterile solution. She gives the sample a number and records the type of fish. She then takes a photo of the salmon carcass and records its location using a GPS. It’s all typical field work procedures for an ecologist like Wheat.

Photojournalist John L. Dengler poses with a chum salmon carcass along the Herman Creek man-made spawning channel near Haines, Alaska. Dengler was photographing ecologist Rachel Wheat working on her research project. Wheat was collecting DNA samples from the saliva of bears who had partially eaten the salmon as part of her Ph.D. dissertation. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Photo by Rachel Wheat/EcologyAlaska.com

Many of the salmon were pretty disgusting. Some seemed alive with flies and maggots busily working on the remains. With one of the salmon I was asked to help flip the fish so Wheat could sample. It was hard to imagine that what was left was once a salmon.

The smell wasn’t too bad because there was a slight breeze, but you definitely knew you were around rotting fish. Unfortunately I made the mistake of setting my pack on what I thought was a clean spot on the ground. I didn’t make that mistake again as my pack picked up the eau de cologne of rotting salmon. The fact that my pack picked up the fish odor reminded me that salmon don’t just feed bears, eagles and people, but their decaying bodies also add nutrients to the forest floor. As testament to that, salmon DNA can often be found in the trees of Southeast Alaska. What an interesting role that salmon play in the circle of life.

What Wheat hopes to learn from the saliva samples

With the 460 saliva samples collected, Wheat will be collaborating on the DNA analysis with Dr. Taal Levi at Oregon State University. Wheat hopes to determine if partially-consumed salmon carcasses can serve as a viable source for bear DNA to genotype individual bears. She also is looking to determine a minimum population estimate for the number of bears using the Chilkoot Valley and the ratio of males to females, particularly in light of increase human presence.

Balancing economic gain with ecosystem processes

I asked Wheat about why she feels her research is important to understand the ecological connections between salmon, eagles, bears, and fishermen.

She thoughtfully responded, “Salmon are a critically important component of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems; they are a keystone species and the foundation of local and regional economies, and have immense social, political, and ecological value. But there is still a lot we don’t know about the importance of salmon to their ecological communities.”

Wheat elaborated, “Currently, most salmon populations are managed to maximize commercial yield, but that isn’t necessarily the best thing for the long-term viability and stability of the population, or the non-human and non-commercial communities that salmon support. My research, as a whole, looks to address this shortcoming. Salmon support a multimillion dollar industry, but they are also important to subsistence fishermen and wildlife, and my research will hopefully lend support to the argument that salmon management should look toward balancing economic gain with other uses, including ecosystem processes.”

As I have found out this past year on my own personal quest to learn more about salmon, this keystone species truly does play an important link to all forms of life in Southeast Alaska. Wheat’s search for determining this balance seems to be worthy of her hard-work. Like so many things about life on this planet, balance can at times be hard to recognize, and even harder to achieve.

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After years at sea, chum salmon return home to Herman Creek to spawn

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Male chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) make their way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. These chum salmon are returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Bald eagles are what initially brought me to the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. While I continue make the eagles an important part of my coverage, I have become interested in issues related to the eagles.

For example, one of the questions I set out to explore is why the eagles come to the Chilkat Valley. In previous posts and images, I have talked about the groundwater upwellings that keep a stretch of the Chilkat River at the Tsirku River alluvial fan from freezing (you can see aerial photos of the Tsirku River alluvial fan at the Chilkat River here and here). This unique geological and hydrological feature, combined with a late salmon run, are why the eagles congregate.  Without the salmon, the eagles would have no incentive to visit the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in the numbers they do. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for this gathering of eagles; which is among the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.

So, on my visits to the Chilkat Valley this year, I focused my efforts on salmon, specifically chum salmon. After initial inquiries about when best to return to the Chilkat Valley, I determined that returning in September would ensure that I was there for the height of the fall chum salmon run. I felt that Herman Creek, a tributary of the Klehini River which flows into the Chilkat River would be a good spot to photograph the run.

Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean.

A chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) powers its way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. The chum salmon is returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

A chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) powers its way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. The chum salmon is returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

The spectacle of seeing the salmon travel up the creek was not what I expected. The chum salmon noisily made their way up the creek in bursts of energy. At times, the sound of all the splashing, as they made their way upstream, reminded me of the sounds of a frantic bird flapping its wings. Their olive green with purple and dark green stripe spawning colors are different from the bright red spawning colors of sockeye salmon.

A female chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), right, and a male chum salmon (left) make their way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek during the fall chum salmon run. The male has likely already spawned due to his battle-scarred and deteriorating body. These chum salmon are returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon begin to deteriorate and die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C. along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. During that period after spawning as they await their death, the salmon take on a look not unlike you would expect from a zombie movie. Their skin looks rotten, tattered, even falling off. In the case of the above photo, a male salmon (left) exhibits injuries that were possibly inflicted by a bear hoping to make a meal of the fish. The salmon at the right is a female chum salmon. Note the difference in the teeth and mouths of the different sexes.

Photographing the salmon proved to be more difficult than I imagined. First, there was the bone-chilling 38°F water. Sitting perfectly still for extended periods in water this cold with your lower body and arms immersed holding the camera underwater is physically challenging. I used a combination of extra thick neoprene waders, and commercial fisherman’s gloves that covered most of my arms. Underneath all that I had multiple layers of long underwear and fleece.  Even with all that clothing, I felt frozen. Second, salmon, like any wild critter, are easily spooked. For all I know, perhaps they saw me as a small, hungry grizzly bear.

The personal highlight of photographing the salmon occurred when I was standing in the water perfectly still. An 18 to 20-inch salmon cautiously approached me, stopped, and then gently passed between my open legs. You can’t get much closer to wildlife than that.

Assisting mother nature with the spawning process

Coming in September during the chum run also allowed me to photograph the wildstock artificial spawning efforts by the The Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA).

NSRAA, a regional private nonprofit hatchery association maintains three chum salmon spawning channels near Haines, Alaska; two at Herman Creek and one at the Chilkat River. They also maintain incubation boxes at Herman Creek, 31-mile Haines Highway and 17-mile Haines Highway.

NSRAA built the channels to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their roe (eggs) and milt (semen) to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The roe is fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes.

I met up with NSRAA fish technicians David Campbell and Dylan Burbank to observe the artificial spawning process. First, Campbell and Burbank constructed an artificial weir on the spawning channel of Herman Creek which salmon could enter but not escape. The weir is protected by an electric fence and a motion-detection alarm that blasts a deafening shrill should bears looking for an easy meal approach.

Dylan Burbank (left) and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), use a large net to catch chum salmon trapped in a temporary weir located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

David Campbell (left) and Dylan Burbank, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), harvest chum salmon at a temporary weir located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska. Captured fish are killed with small bats. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Dylan Burbank, a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), captures a chum salmon at a temporary weir located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Harvested chum salmon are sorted by sex for processing by fish technicians from the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA). The capture and processing takes place at a man-made spawning channel near Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Fish trapped between the weir structure are rounded up by Campbell and Burbank using a big net or by simply grabbing by hand from a trap box that fish could swim into if they felt so inclined. It’s hard work lugging the big net with dozens of fish, each weighing approximately 11 to 15 pounds. It is just as hard to later toss each individual fish into a sorting pile (male vs. female) after the fish has been killed with a blow to the head with a small aluminum bat. The sharp canine-like teeth cut easily cut through the fish technician’s thick vinyl gloves.

David Campbell (left) and Dylan Burbank, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), harvest roe from a female chum salmon next to a man-made spawning channel near Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Female chum salmon may lay as many as 4,000 eggs, but typically the range is 2,400 to 3,100 eggs. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

David Campbell and Dylan Burbank, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), harvest roe from a female chum salmon next to a man-made spawning channel near Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Female chum salmon may lay as many as 4,000 eggs, but typically the range is 2,400 to 3,100 eggs. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Once sorted, Campbell and Burbank begin the process of removing the roe (eggs) from the females by slicing the egg sac along the bottom of the salmon with a ring-like short curved blade. The precious roe is caught with an ordinary kitchen strainer. Each female might contain as many as 4,000 eggs but typically the range is 2,400 to 3,100 eggs.

Dylan Burbank (left) and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), inspect roe from a female chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. It is important to remove bad eggs to keep the fish healthy while in the incubation boxes. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

The roe is carefully inspected for bad eggs.

Dylan Burbank, fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), displays examples of healthy roe from a female chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. It is important to remove bad eggs to keep the fish healthy while in the incubation boxes. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Example of good chum salmon eggs

Dylan Burbank, fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), displays an example of bad roe from a female chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. It is important to remove bad eggs to keep the fish healthy while in the incubation boxes. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Example of a bad chum salmon egg. Bad eggs create mold and fungus in the incubation box, killing off good eggs.

David Campbell, fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), pours roe from a female chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. The roe will be transported in plastic bags and coolers to the incubation boxes where the roe will be fertilized with milt. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Once the roe has been gathered and placed in kitchen plastic storage bags, the process of gathering the milt from the males begins.

Dylan Burbank (left) and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), collect milt from a male chum salmon at a man-made spawning channel near Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Dylan Burbank (left) and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), collect milt from a male chum salmon at a man-made spawning channel near Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Milt is gathered in small plastic bags. The milt is extracted by pressing and sliding a hand across the bottom of the male salmon. Let me just say that careful aim is needed in this step of the process.

David Campbell (left), and Dylan Burbank fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), carry coolers of roe and milt from chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. As the bumper sticker touts, Alaskan fisherman are proud that fish from Alaska are not farmed fish. At the incubation boxes the eggs will be fertilized with the milt and then placed in the incubation boxes. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Campbell (left) and Burbank carry coolers of roe and milt collected from chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek. The roe and milt will be taken to the stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River.

Dylan Burbank (right), and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), measure and record the weight of eggs collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek, located near Haines, Alaska. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Weighing the eggs is the way technicians determine how many eggs are placed in the incubation boxes. After weighing, the eggs will be fertilized with the milt and then placed in the incubation boxes. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Dylan Burbank (right), and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), measure and record the weight of eggs collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek, located near Haines, Alaska. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Weighing the eggs is the way the technicians determine how many eggs are placed in the incubation boxes. After weighing, the roe will be fertilized with the milt and then placed in the incubation boxes. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

David Campbell (left) and Dylan Burbank measure and record the weight of eggs collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek. Weighing the eggs is the way the technicians determine how many eggs are placed in the incubation boxes. In the spring when the boxes are cleaned out, dead eggs are weighed. This provides a count of fish that became fry.

Once the chum salmon roe and milt are mixed together, the milt begins to foam. A small amount of water is added and the roe and milt are gently mixed by hand. Then the roe is rinsed with the fresh water from Herman Creek. After mixing the roe with the milt, the roe is placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. The non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), fertilizes chum salmon roe with milt collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

After weighing, the eggs are fertilized with the milt, and some water from Herman Creek.

Once the chum salmon roe and milt are mixed together, the milt begins to foam. A small amount of water is added and the roe and milt are gently mixed by hand. Then the roe is rinsed with the fresh water from Herman Creek. After mixing the roe with the milt, the roe is placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. The non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), fertilizes chum salmon roe with milt collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

The mixture is very gently mixed, then rinsed with stream water.

David Campbell, a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), gently pours the fertilized eggs onto a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic in the incubation boxes. The boxes are located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Campbell very gently pours the fertilized eggs into the incubation box.

Fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), place the fertilized chum salmon eggs onto a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic in the incubation boxes. The boxes are located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into incubation boxes on the Klehini River (Herman Creek and at 31-mile Haines Highway). The 2013 incubation box survival rate at the Herman Creek incubation site was roughly 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Over on the Chilkat River, 1.2 million eggs were seeded. In 2013, the Chilkat River incubation site had a 98% survival rate. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Water from Herman Creek flows continuously through the incubation boxes. Once the fry are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own through the water  discharge pipe.

Dylan Burbank (right), and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), measure and record the weight of eggs collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek, located near Haines, Alaska. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Weighing the eggs is the way the technicians determine how many eggs are placed in the incubation boxes. After weighing, the eggs will be fertilized with the milt and then placed in the incubation boxes. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own. The shotgun is kept handy for protection from bears. Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Throughout the process Campbell and Burbank keep one eye on their surroundings for grizzly bears who also frequent the same stream during the salmon run. A silver shotgun is always within each reach. The day before I met them, Campbell and Burbank had a large grizzly bear charge their pickup truck as they pulled up. They had come between a sow and her cubs who were likely attracted to the dead and dying salmon along the spawning channels. A frenzied reversal of the truck deescalated the situation.

NSRAA has maintained a presence in the Chilkat Valley since 1984 with wildstock enhancement projects ranging from sockeye lake stocking, chum and sockeye streamed incubation, and spawning channel construction. NSRAA’s current focus is on the four chum salmon spawning channels and three chum salmon stream incubation sites.

Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in the Chilkat Valley and other sites in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. In 2014, it is estimated that NSRAA’s contributions to the commercial salmon harvest was $8.27 million, or about 6.6% of the total $126 million Southeast Alaska commercial salmon harvest.

UPDATE: The March 26, 2015 edition of the Chilkat Valley News reports that NSRAA has decided to suspend their incubation box projects in the Haines area, including those at Herman Creek. NSRAA’s decision is based on a low return on investment for the number of fish that the project produced. Building additional chum salmon spawning channels for the area in the future is being considered.

UPDATE: The September 3, 2015 edition of the Chilkat Valley News reports that NSRAA has lengthened the two spawning channels at Herman Creek by a third. The project was funded with a state Department of Commerce grant.

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Bald eagle’s view of Constantine Metals Palmer Deposit

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Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan is exploring a potential site for a mine on the steep mountain slopes pictured above Glacier Creek (foreground). This area above Glacier Greek near Mount Henry Clay, known as the Palmer Deposit, is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway. Jarvis Glacier can be seen in the upper right. The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company. If approved and developed, the mine, near Haines, Alaska would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine. The Haines Highway can be seen in photo on the right. Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini River (shown) and the Chilkat River 14 miles downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Whenever I take aerial photographs of the Chilkat Valley near Haines, Alaska, I am reminded of how intertwined people and wildlife are in this valley. I also find that places that seem big or far away when viewed from the ground look small, insignificant and close-by from the air. It gives meaning to the term, “getting the big picture” — both literally and figuratively. I find it a great way to develop a broader understanding of a story topic, and to put the issues into perspective.

It was for these reasons I wanted to see from the air, the area that is being explored by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia and investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan.

The area that Constantine Metal Resources is exploring for an underground mine is known as the Palmer Deposit. The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company.

The mountain slope where the mine might be located is near Mile 40 of the Haines Highway.  It is directly above Glacier Creek which drains into the nearby Klehini River, a tributary of the Chilkat River.

Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan is exploring a potential site for a mine on the mountain slopes (left) above Glacier Creek (shown) and the Klehini River (background). This area above Glacier Greek, known as the Palmer Deposit, is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway. The bottom of the photo is the tongue of the Saksaia Glacier. The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company. If approved and developed, the mine, near Haines, Alaska would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine. Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini River (shown) and the Chilkat River 14 miles downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. At times more than 3,000 eagles have been recorded at the primary gathering area for the fall chum salmon run. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

It is the interconnection of Glacier Creek, the Klehini River and Chilkat River that is the focus of my interest and the reason for my aerial photography flight. I wanted to get the lay of the land, in particular, how Glacier Creek is situated directly below the area of geologic exploration. I was also interested in seeing the distance from this area of Glacier Creek before it emptied into the Klehini River, and shortly thereafter, the Chilkat River.

Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan is exploring a potential site for a mine (located on the far left edge of image and beyond) just above Glacier Creek (foreground) and the Klehini River (right side of image). The border with British Columbia is at the upper right. This area above Glacier Greek, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway. The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company. If approved and developed, the mine, near Haines, Alaska would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine. The Haines Highway can be seen in photo on the right. Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini River (shown) and the Chilkat River 14 miles downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

It was obvious from the air why the potential mining site was of interest to Constantine Metal Resources and their partners. Close access to a paved highway (as seen in the above photo, highway is on the right) would allow for easy delivery of ore concentrate by truck to the nearby year-round deepwater port of Haines. According to Constantine Metal Resources’ website, the ore concentrate would then be shipped from Haines to Asian smelters. The steep slope of the terrain makes for easier extraction due to direct access to the ore-rich geologic zones of the mountain slope.

As I have previously written (“Exploration continues at Constantine Metal Resources’ Palmer Project”), the Palmer Deposit project will become an even bigger topic of discussion as Constantine Metal Resources continues to post encouraging results from their exploratory efforts. Mine development is a very slow process with many boxes in need of being checked off: exploratory research, planning, environmental studies, public comment and permit acquisition. All this takes many years, sometimes decades. But as Constantine Metal Resources broadens their exploration, the pace of the project will pick up; as will the interest and concerns of locals.

A mine has the potential to bring needed jobs to the Haines economy. The community’s economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support is tempting to some.

On the other end of the spectrum, anything that has the potential to impact a world-class salmon fishery will be of intense local resident concern. Both the Klehini River and Chilkat River are key salmon spawning rivers for Southeast Alaska. According to local public radio station KHNS, Haines has 180 skippers and crew who commercial fish. The Haines fisherman caught $11.5 million worth of fish, resulting in $326,000 in fish tax for the Haines borough. These numbers do not include the many local residents who depend on salmon for subsistence. Simply put, salmon are critical to the life blood of the community on many levels.

Male chum salmon make their way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. These chum salmon are returning to freshwater Herman Creek after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles. Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. (© John L. Dengler/Dengler Images)

Anything that endangers the salmon spawning and rearing habitat, and watershed resources is simply unimaginable and unacceptable to many. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini and Chilkat River. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.

The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. At times more than 3,000 eagles have been recorded at the preserve during the fall chum salmon run.

It was these bald eagles that originally brought me to the Chilkat Valley, but like the many interconnected aspects of this valley, it became quickly apparent to me that without salmon, there would be no large groups of bald eagles. Without salmon, I doubt that the original Tlingit people would have had the presence they had in the valley.

In journalism, you always hear the term “follow the money.” In the case of the Chilkat Valley, I believe it might be more appropriate to say, “follow the salmon.”

That’s just what I did with my aerial flight. The eagle-eye view gave me a literal overview of the valley’s interconnections giving me a better perspective and understanding of the mine exploration area and its relation to the Chilkat Valley’s watershed.

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