Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership Strategic Plan Purpose The purpose of the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership is to create and foster effective collaborations to maintain healthy fish, healthy people, healthy habitat, and healthy economies in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Mission To protect, maintain, restore and enhance fish habitat. Vision For future generations to have healthy, sustainable fish and aquatic ecosystems. A Participating Partner of the version 3.2 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 5 Geography ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Climate ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Cook Inlet Bathymetry ..................................................................................................................... 8 Tides and Circulation ....................................................................................................................... 9 Salinity and Sediment ...................................................................................................................... 9 Temperature and Ice Conditions ...................................................................................................... 9 Ground Water ................................................................................................................................ 10 Surface Water ................................................................................................................................ 11 Water Quality ................................................................................................................................ 12 Geology ......................................................................................................................................... 13 Soils and Vegetation ...................................................................................................................... 13 Spruce Bark Beetle Damage ........................................................................................................... 15 Aquatic Resources ......................................................................................................................... 15 Finfish - other than Salmon ............................................................................................................... 15 Salmon .............................................................................................................................................. 16 Shellfish ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Freshwater and Marine Invertebrates .............................................................................................. 18 Non-Aquatic Species ...................................................................................................................... 19 Birds .................................................................................................................................................. 19 Marine Mammals .............................................................................................................................. 20 Terrestrial Mammals ......................................................................................................................... 21 Focus Area Overview ............................................................................................................ 22 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Relative target effort levels of focal areas (Time and Funding) ....................................................... 23 Overarching Current Condition of Fish Habitat ............................................................................... 23 Overarching Desired Future Condition of Fish Habitat .................................................................... 24 Focal Area: Partnership Capacity .......................................................................................... 25 Current Condition .......................................................................................................................... 25 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................................... 25 Member terms ............................................................................................................................... 25 Organizing Principles: .................................................................................................................... 25 Governing Structure ....................................................................................................................... 26 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 28 Priority Activities ........................................................................................................................... 29 FOCAL AREA: BIOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY ................................................................................ 31 Current Condition .......................................................................................................................... 31 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................................... 31 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 32 2 FOCAL AREA – WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY ................................................................... 33 Current Condition .......................................................................................................................... 33 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................................... 33 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 33 FOCAL AREA – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................... 35 Current Condition .......................................................................................................................... 35 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................................... 35 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 35 FOCAL AREA: EDUCATION ..................................................................................................... 37 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 37 FOCAL AREA: POLICY ............................................................................................................ 38 Current Condition .......................................................................................................................... 38 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................................... 38 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 38 Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix A – Definitions ............................................................................................................... 40 Appendix B Significant Salmon Stocks ............................................................................................ 47 Appendix C Threats ........................................................................................................................ 59 Appendix D Prioritized Fish Passage Barriers for Interim ................................................................ 64 Appendix E Prioritized Restoration Needs ...................................................................................... 65 Appendix F Climate Change Summary ............................................................................................ 66 Appendix F Freshwater - Conservation Action Plan ....................................................................... 72 Appendix G Marine - Conservation Action Plan ............................................................................. 82 3 Executive Summary The Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership formed to foster and create effective collaborations to maintain healthy fish, healthy people, healthy