Otter Lake and Creek Salmon Surveys

Otter Creek PhotoOtter Lake Salmon Surveys
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Cook Inlet beluga whales rely on Otter Lake salmon as a substantial source of their diet. AERC researchers monitor the smolt salmon emigration and adult salmon escapement from Otter Lake, located on JBER, to establish and support long-term monitoring efforts of salmon productivity. The AERC team installed and maintains equipment which tracks the fish entering the lake and performs riverwalks to spot salmon and assess the flow conditions. The project ensures that base usage does not have adverse effects on the salmon populations, which would in turn affect the endangered population of beluga whales in Cook Inlet.

Project goals: Establish annual abundance and assess long-term population trends, determine run time and species distribution, and monitor conditions of the waterways.