51! /1 .415 Volume 6 1964-1965 At ARLIS I/.(P Alaska Resources STATE OF ALASKA Library & Information Services Ancl~ ', '6' ll.iSka William A. Egan, Governor ANNUAL REPORT OF PROGRESS, 1964 - 1965 FEDERAL AID IN FISH RESTORATION PROJECT F-5-R-6 SPORT FISH INVESTIGATIONS OF ALASKA ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME Walter Kirkness, Commissioner E. S. Marvich, Deputy Commissioner Alex H. McRea, Director Sport Fish Division Louis S. Bandirola, Coordinator 0) L!')" co ~ o o o L!') L!') M" M INTRODUCTION This report of progress consists of Job Segment Reports from the State of Alaska Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Project F-S-R-6, "Sport Fish Investigations of Alaska." The project during this report period is composed of 23 separate studies designed to evaluate the various aspects of the State's recreational fishery resources. Of these, eight jobs are designed to pursue the cata­ loging and inventory of the numerous State waters in an attempt to index the potential recreational fisheries. Four jobs are designed for collection of specific sport fisheries creel census while the remainder of the jobs are more specific in nature. These include independent studies on king salmon, silver salmon, grayling, Dolly Varden, a statewide access evaluation program and an egg take program. A report concerning the residual effects of toxa­ phene accumulates the findings of a three-year study. The report presented here terminates this segment and is a final report. The information gathered from the combined studies will provide the necessary background data for a better understanding of local management problems and will assist in the development of future investigational studies. The subject matter contained within these reports is often fragmentary in nature. The findings may not be conclusive and the interpretations contained therein are subject to re-evaluation as the work progresses. Volume 6 Report No. 18-G JOB COMPLETION REPORT RESEARCH PROJECT SEGMENT STATE: ALASKA Name: Sport Fish Investigations of Alaska. Project No.: F-5-R-6 Title: Investigations of Alaska's Public Fishing Access Requirements. Job No.: 18-G Period Covered: April 11, 1964 to April 14, 1965. ABSTRACT Statewide sport fishing access investigations involved review and evaluation of 1,179 freshwater and 64 intertidal and saltwater environs. Priority of areas requiring investi­ gations was based on trends in land selection activities, land entry and highway projects. Recommendations were submitted to Alaska Department of Highways, Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Bureau of Land Management for 124 sites totaling 1,215.8 acres. The sites will provide access to 55 lakes and 48 streams or rivers. Land agency and negotiation action is reported on providing access to 108 lakes and 28 streams. Landownership by state and federal agencies and private land entry was reported for four study regions encompassing 375 million acres of land. A detailed study was conducted on landownership of lake­ shore property for a 25 township area containing 262 lakes serving the Anchorage - Palmer area anglers. One hundred eighty-two lakes had public lands; 81 of these were marginal fisheries. Eighty lakes were surrounded by public land; 30 of these were marginal waters and 16 private, but productive waters were open to public via rights-of-way or campgrounds. Recommendations for future work with federal, state and borough agencies are included in the report. Techniques con­ cerning the examination and evaluation of waters are described, together with the various land laws under which sites are obtained and held for public use. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. 1. Continued cooperation with the State Division of Lands and the Bureau of Land Management, u. S. 321 I Department of Interior, in determining sport I fishing values, potential and access requirements of currently unclassified lands. I 2. 2. Continue reviewing preliminary highway project plans and submit recommendations to State highway planners concerning location and development of I access roadways, parking areas and future boat launching sites. I 3. 3. Continued effort in determining the fish producing capabilities of lakes which have not been bio­ logically cataloged or inventoried. I 4. 4. Assist the boroughs in their long range land planning with recommendations for securing public I access to sport fisheries. 5. 5. Sites, currently withdrawn for public purposes and I that are to be or are currently being restored and made available to the State for land selection, be selected and held for public access and related I recreational use. OBJECTIVES I 1. 1. To investigate potential recreational fishing areas in the public domain, State lands and, when required, I private lands. 2. 2. To establish priority files on areas requiring access I investigations and to make recommendations for the withdrawal or the classification of lands for public fishing access purposes. I 3. 3. To maintain current status files on land jurisdiction to facilitate management and research projects. I TECHNIQUES USED I 1. 1. Examination and evaluation of each area for public access requirements involved: I a. a. Sport Fishery: The biological and limnological data was acquired on each water from Departmental lake-stream catalog-inventory records, information I supplied by Department biologists and by field inspections using standard lake and stream survey I methods. b. b. Current or Anticipated Angler Use: Current angler I use estimates were based on Department creel census projects and reports, annual campground use statistics developed by the Department of I I 322 322 I I I Natural Resources, U. S. Forest Service visitor studies, Department of Highways Traffic Reports andand various user statistics from compiled I reports associated with activities of the Alaska Outdoor Recreation Council and Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. Additional information was I collected from hotel-lodge clerks and managers, air charter pilots, guides and, whenever possible, local residents. The resultant information from I these sources pointed out current and future problem areas and aided, in many instances, in directing our attention to areas requiring I immediate investigation. The user data was used in support of site recommendations. I c.c. Reviews of both federal and state land records were scheduled and carried out. In connection with maintaining an access site status file, I the trends in land entry and land selections were specially followed (Figure 1). I 22. Access site files were maintained and periodically updated as the status of the specific site changed or State and Borough land selection programs moved I into new regions. Review of Federal Registers and available landownership records assisted in pointing out areas requiring effort and aided in establishing I priority of access investigations. Recommendations for the withdrawal, reservation or classification of lands for sport fishing access were made on the basis of anticipated future requirements. TheThe following land laws and administrative procedures were used or were involved in facilitating the orderly withdrawal, reservation or classification for public access: a.a. Classification and Multiple-Use Act, approved September 1964 (78 Stat. 986; 43 U.S.C. 1411-18) b.b. Public Land Sale Act approved September 1964 (78 Stat. 988; 43 U.S.C. 1421-27) c.c. Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (78 Stat. 897; Title 1, Section 5, P.L. 88-578) d.d. Federal Aid to Highways Act (72 Stat. 885, 904, 916; 23 U.S.C. 131, 139) e.e. Bureau of Public Roads Instructional Memorandum No. 21-5-63, June 12, 1963, Subject: Coordination of Public Interests of Highway Improvements with those of Fish and Wildlife Resource. 323 LAND STATUS STATUS ~ ~ PUBLIC DOMAIN •It NATIONAL FORESTS -..!!i:!III!:I~ .._ NATIONAL MONUMENTS ,I, , NATIONAL MONUMENTS = ~ U.S. WILDLIFE RANGES II MILITARY RESERVATIONS ~ II I NOlAN ASSERTIONS m W IVN II_ CITY & PRIVATE *'" """ LJ STATE SELECTIONS ;~.,~~""~ '''X~.~; ~\~~lR" ~~~ '~~ "'l. '\'i-~~ 'v~ ~. _ '~,~~ ~'t. ~~ . ~ ~~'~:,~ ~~~':. ~, .. ~~\~~~~~~\~~~ ~I"i ~ ~~-~h '-~"'~I~~~"'''''~"'~', ~.~~" ,"it ,,"l ~ ~,~ ~- -"" '" \ , ~§f~?~ ~~;\ .. 'f~i1' ~ "" , J1'G:' ~ ".-'~ ~" {J(J FIGURE 1. ~- f. Private negotiations with owners or entrymen. g. Reserve-Use Lands Applications and Land Classification provisions of Title 11 - Alaska Land Act. Following evaluation of the specific fishery-in terms of future access needs, three procedures are under­ taken or involved. First, site recommendations are submitted to the land agency having current land control of the area. Depending on importance and urgency, the recommenda­ tions may be the appropriate application, a letter of request or verbal recommendation submitted during recreation planning conferences. Second, where required or appropriate, applica­ tions are filed by the various land agencies acting upon our recommendations. These applications may be of a temporary or interim nature in order to secure the site or sites. Where applications are not utilized, the responsible land agency may only note the request on the official land status plats. Third, the site is considered acquired for future access purposes when the appropriate Public Land Order, Land Classification Order is issued or Reserve­ Use classification is noted on official records. 3. New ADL and BLM cadastral survey plats, charts and U.S.G.S. topographic maps were acquired to facilitate locating, describing and estimating the extent of future development required to make a site useable or accessible. Coordination and cooperation necessary for an effective public access project required considerable liaison between this Department and the Bureau of Land Man­ agement (BLM), Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, U. S. Forest Service, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Lands (ADL), Alaska Department of Highways (ADH), Department of Public Works and Matanuska-Susitna and Kenai Boroughs. FINDINGS The statewide investigation and evaluation of waters to determine Alaska's sport fishing access requirements involved 1,179 freshwater and 64 intertidal and saltwater environs. Eight hundred forty-six lakes and 333 streams were reviewed; 262 of these lakes were within a special Matanuska Valley study unit.