3.4. History of Karluk Lake Fishery
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KARLUK LAKE NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT Preliminary Environmental Assessment and Section 810 Evaluation Kodiak Island, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Kodiak, Alaska Karluk Lake Nutrient Enrichment EA and ANILCA Section 810 Evaluation Karluk Lake Nutrient Enrichment EA and ANILCA Section 810 Evaluation KARLUK LAKE NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND ANILCA SECTION 810 EVALUATION Prepared by SWCA Environmental Consultants 1205 E. International Airport Road, Suite 103 Anchorage, Alaska 99518 (907) 279-7922 Prepared for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge 1390 Buskin River Road Kodiak, Alaska 99615 (907) 487-2600 December 2014 Karluk Lake Nutrient Enrichment EA and ANILCA Section 810 Evaluation Karluk Lake Nutrient Enrichment EA and ANILCA Section 810 Evaluation CONTENTS 1. Purpose and Need for Action ............................................................................................ 1 1.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Purpose and Need for Action ........................................................................................................ 1 1.3. Background ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3.1. Proposed Project History ...................................................................................................... 1 1.3.2. Summary of the Karluk Sockeye Salmon Fishery ................................................................ 2 1.4. Regulatory Authorities and Responsibilities ................................................................................. 7 1.4.1. Mission of the Service ........................................................................................................... 7 1.4.2. Mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System ................................................................. 7 1.4.3. Kodiak Refuge Purposes ....................................................................................................... 7 1.4.4. Legal Context ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.5. Consistency with Other Plans and Policies ................................................................................... 9 1.5.1. NWRS Biological Integrity Policy...................................................................................... 10 1.5.2. Refuge Compatibility Policy ............................................................................................... 10 1.5.3. Kodiak Refuge Management Direction .............................................................................. 10 1.5.4. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Fishery Management Plan ............................................ 12 1.5.5. State Plans and Policies ....................................................................................................... 12 1.6. Decisions to be Made .................................................................................................................. 15 1.7. Scope of Environmental Assessment .......................................................................................... 16 1.8. Issues ........................................................................................................................................... 16 1.8.1. Aquatic Productivity ........................................................................................................... 16 1.8.2. Fisheries .............................................................................................................................. 17 1.8.3. Wildlife ............................................................................................................................... 17 1.8.4. Water Quality ...................................................................................................................... 18 1.8.5. Subsistence .......................................................................................................................... 18 1.8.6. Recreation ........................................................................................................................... 18 1.8.7. Socioeconomics .................................................................................................................. 18 1.8.8. Cultural Resources .............................................................................................................. 18 1.9. Issues Dismissed from Further Analysis ..................................................................................... 18 1.9.1. Impacts to Air Quality ......................................................................................................... 18 1.9.2. Impacts to Threatened and Endangered Species ................................................................. 19 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives .................................................................................. 20 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 20 2.2. Alternatives Development........................................................................................................... 20 2.3. Actions Common to All Action Alternatives .............................................................................. 21 2.3.1. Sockeye Salmon Escapement Management ........................................................................ 21 2.3.2. Monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.3. Applicant-committed Measures .......................................................................................... 25 2.4. Alternative A: No Action ............................................................................................................ 25 2.4.1. Service ................................................................................................................................. 25 2.4.2. ADF&G ............................................................................................................................... 27 2.5. Alternative B: Lake Nutrient Enrichment (Proposed Action) ..................................................... 28 i Karluk Lake Nutrient Enrichment EA and ANILCA Section 810 Evaluation 2.6. Alternative C: Fry Stocking ........................................................................................................ 30 2.6.1. Broodstock Collection and Ripening .................................................................................. 30 2.6.2. Egg Collection, Incubation, and Rearing ............................................................................ 31 2.6.3. Stocking .............................................................................................................................. 32 2.7. Alternative D: Lake Nutrient Enrichment and Fry Stocking ...................................................... 32 2.8. Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ............................................... 33 2.8.1. Placement of Salmon Carcasses in Karluk Lake ................................................................. 34 2.8.2. Placement of Carcass Analogs ............................................................................................ 34 2.8.3. Stock Smolts in Karluk Lake .............................................................................................. 34 2.8.4. Move Adult Sockeye Salmon to Karluk Lake .................................................................... 35 2.8.5. Reduce Three-spined Stickleback Population ..................................................................... 35 2.9. Alternatives Comparison............................................................................................................. 35 3. Affected Environment ...................................................................................................... 37 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 37 3.2. Aquatic Resources ...................................................................................................................... 40 3.2.1. Other Fish Species .............................................................................................................. 40 3.2.2. Sockeye Salmon .................................................................................................................. 43 3.2.3. Zooplankton and Phytoplankton ......................................................................................... 44 3.2.4. Fisheries and Climate Change ............................................................................................. 44 3.3. Water Quality .............................................................................................................................. 44 3.3.1. Lake Morphometry and Hydrology .................................................................................... 45 3.3.2. Lake Nutrients ..................................................................................................................... 45 3.3.3. Primary Productivity and Water Quality............................................................................