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Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project Document
ARLIS Uniform Cover Page
Title:
Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project terrestrial wildlife resources
SuWa 201
Author(s) – Personal:
Mark Burch and Kim King
Author(s) – Corporate:
AEA-identified category, if specified:
AEA-identified series, if specified:
Series (ARLIS-assigned report number):
Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project document number 201
Existing numbers on document:
Published by:
[Palmer, Alaska : Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2013]
Date published:
[2013]
Published for:
Date or date range of report:
Volume and/or Part numbers:
Final or Draft status, as indicated:
Document type:
Slide presentation. No commentary.
Pagination:
25 p.
Related work(s):
Pages added/changed by ARLIS:
Notes:
All reports in the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project Document series include an ARLIS-
produced cover page and an ARLIS-assigned number for uniformity and citability. All reports
are posted online at http://www.arlis.org/resources/susitna-watana/
Susitna-Watana
Hydroelectric Project
Terrestrial Wildlife Resources
RC2 Tab 1
Mark Burch and Kim King
Source material - http://www.susitna-
watanahydro.org/study-plan/ 1
The State of Alaska and Legislature have set a
goal to obtain 50 percent of the state’s power from
renewable sources by 2025.
2
The State of Alaska and Legislature have set a
goal to obtain 50 percent of the state’s power from
renewable sources by 2025.
3
Proposed
Inundation Area
Oct 2012
Photo by Nick
Demma ADF&G
4
Proposed Dam:
735 feet above
bedrock
5
The FERC Integrated Licensing Process (ILP)
allows agencies and the public to weigh in on the
proposed project.
6
2025
Preliminary Planning
Study Gap Analysis
Permit Application
2010 2012 2017
Design/ Licensing
Field Studies
Permit Applications
Environmental Impact
Statement Preparation
Agency Approvals Construction 2015
The FERC Integrated Licensing Process (ILP)
allows agencies and the public to weigh in on the
proposed project.
7
2025
Preliminary Planning
Study Gap Analysis
Permit Application
2010 2012 2017
Design/ Licensing
Field Studies
Permit Applications
Environmental Impact
Statement Preparation
Agency Approvals Construction 2015
The ILP involves planning, review, approval and
implementation of a Study Plan.
The Study Plan addresses the following areas:
•Geology and Soils
•Water Resources
•Instream Flow
•Fish/ Aquatics & Beluga
•Wildlife
•Botany
•Recreation
•Culture and Paleontology
•Subsistence
•Socioeconomics
•Transportation
•Project Safety
8
The ILP involves planning, review, approval and
implementation of a Study Plan.
The Study Plan addresses the following areas:
•Geology and Soils
•Water Resources
•Instream Flow
•Fish/ Aquatics & Beluga
•Wildlife
•Botany
•Recreation
•Culture and Paleontology
•Subsistence
•Socioeconomics
•Transportation
•Project Safety
9
Potential Impacts on Wildlife
•Habitat Loss/ Alteration
•Blockage of Movements
•Disturbance
•Increased Hunter Access
The Wildlife Study Plans will provide baseline data
for assessments of potential Project impacts.
Photo by Nick Demma ADF&G
10
Wildlife Studies are being conducted on multiple
species in the Project vicinity.
•Moose
•Caribou
•Dall’s Sheep
•Wolverines
•Large Carnivores*
•Ptarmigan
•Terrestrial Furbearers
•Aquatic Furbearers
•Bats & Small Mammals
•Eagles/ Raptors
•Waterbirds
•Landbirds/ Shorebirds
•Wood Frog
•Wildlife Habitat Evaluation
Wildlife Studies in the Project vicinity:
11
Wildlife Studies are being conducted on multiple
species in the Project vicinity.
•Moose
•Caribou
•Dall’s Sheep
•Wolverines
•Large Carnivores*
•Ptarmigan
•Terrestrial Furbearers
•Aquatic Furbearers
•Bats & Small Mammals
•Eagles/ Raptors
•Waterbirds
•Landbirds/ Shorebirds
•Wood Frog
•Wildlife Habitat Evaluation
Wildlife Studies in the Project vicinity:
12
ADF&G is monitoring the distribution, abundance,
productivity, and survival of moose in
the Project vicinity.
•Monthly Telemetry of VHF Radio collars
•Monitoring ARGOS Satellite-linked GPS collars
•A GeoSpatial Population Estimation (GSPE) Survey
•Traditional Count Area Surveys
•Late Winter Inundation Surveys
•Twinning/Calving Surveys
•Browse Surveys
This study involves:
Photo by Kim
King ADF&G 13
14
100 Moose VHF
and GPS collars
will be deployed in
the study area.
Collar
Type Sex Oct
2012
Mar
2013 Total
VHF
Bulls 3 17 20
Cows 7 33 40
GPS Bulls 14 0 14
Cows 26 0 26
TOTAL 50 50 100
Photo by Becky Schwanke ADF&G
Photo by Becky Schwanke ADF&G
15
16
ADF&G is monitoring the distribution, abundance,
movements, and productivity of Nelchina and
Delta caribou in the Project vicinity.
•Monthly Telemetry of VHF Radio collars
•Monitoring ARGOS Satellite-linked GPS collars
•Calving Surveys
This study involves:
Photo by Kim
King ADF&G
Photo by Nick
Demma ADF&G 17
18
Collar
Type Sex Apr
2012
Oct
2012 Total
VHF Bulls 15 15 30
GPS
Bulls 8 10 18
Cows 0 42 42
TOTAL 23 67 90
90 Caribou VHF
and Satellite
Collars were
deployed in 2012.
Photo by Kim
King ADF&G
Photo by Kim
King ADF&G 19
20 20
ADF&G will fly a survey of all suitable Dall’s
Sheep habitat in the Project vicinity.
ADF&G
21
ADF&G will conduct a Sample Unit Probability
Estimator (SUPE) and Occupancy Modeling on
wolverines in the Project vicinity.
Photo by Becky
Schwanke ADF&G
22
Spatial-line transect modeling will be used to
estimate bear populations in the Project vicinity
from ADF&G 2000-2004 data.
Spatial density surface
estimation from
distance sampling surveys
David L. Miller, Len
Thomas, Laura Marshall
ADF&G
23
Watana Bear Study Area
24
Photo by Becky
Schwanke ADF&G
Looking downstream from
the proposed dam site
Mount McKinley
25