Freshwater Flow Systems
Justification and Issues:
Network parks contain some of the largest and most “pristine” freshwater resources in the national park system. These include the two large lakes, Naknek Lake and Lake Clark, numerous multi-lake systems, and thousands of miles of rivers, including five designated "Wild Rivers" – and largely unexploited resident lake fish populations. Aquatic systems in the interior of Katmai and Lake Clark NP&Ps are so extensive that they form the physical template upon which nearly all biological systems are organized.
In establishing these park units, Congress recognized the importance of clean water, with a specific reference to protecting and maintaining rivers and/or lakes in their natural state in the enabling legislation for ALAG, ANIA, KATM, and LACL. Legislation for KEFJ mentions the Harding Icefield – a major source of fresh water for this park and the adjacent coastal zone.
Questions and Objectives
Surface Hydrology
Questions:
- How are the timing and magnitude of peak river discharge and lake level changing in key SWAN glacial and non-glacial systems?
Objectives:
- Monitor maximum and minimum seasonal daily flow and total seasonal water yield in selected SWAN river systems.
- Monitor seasonal trends in the timing and magnitude (average, maximum, minimum) of lake levels in selected SWAN flow systems.
Freshwater Chemistry
Questions:
- How are the seasonal maximum, minimum and average measurements for core parameters (pH, DO, specific conductance, and temperature) and turbidity changing?
- How are the annual degree days changing in lakes? How are summer lake stratification patterns changing?
- How are nutrient levels (nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon), chlorophyll a and dissolved organic carbon changing as measured in mid-summer?
- How are dissolved major ion, trace elements and alkalinity changing as measured in mid-summer?
Objectives:
- Observe seasonal variability in maximum, minimum and average temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance and turbidity in selected SWAN flow systems.
- Quantify midsummer lake profiles of temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity on a seasonal basis for high-priority lake systems, and less frequently for other SWAN lakes.
- Estimate nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations on a seasonal basis in high-priority lake systems, and less frequently for other SWAN lakes.
- Monitor dissolved major ion, trace elements and alkalinity on a seasonal basis for high-priority lake systems, and less frequently for other SWAN lakes.
Resident Lake Fish
Questions:
- Are important recreational, subsistence, and other endemic species of resident fish persisting in SWAN lakes?
- What are the trends in relative composition of resident fish communities among key lake systems within SWAN parks?
- Do non-endemic fish species occur in key lake systems in SWAN parks and are they increasing in distribution?
- Are bioaccumulated contaminants increasing in fish communities in SWAN lakes?
Objectives:
- Collect and archive tissue samples of resident fish for later biocontaminant analysis every 5 years from within high priority lakes and every 10-15 years within lower priority lakes in KATM and LACL.
- Resident Lake Fish population / assemblage objectives under development.
Salmon
Questions:
- Are sockeye salmon abundance and productivity changing in SWAN parks?
- Is the timing of upstream sockeye salmon migration and spawning changing in SWAN parks?
- Are the number of recruits per spawner, freshwater residence time, or body condition of sockeye salmon changing in SWAN parks?
Objectives:
- Devise and implement a protocol for obtaining past, present, and future data from ADF&G on spawner abundance and distribution, timing of spawning runs, and freshwater residence time of sockeye salmon from sampled systems in SWAN parks.
- Estimate long-term trends in spawner abundance, growth rates and distribution, timing of spawning runs, and freshwater residence time and body condition of sockeye salmon of SWAN parks.
