An Interagency Collaboration: The Kanektok River
USFWS Refuge, NRCS, & USFWS NWI (Cooperator -GSS SMUMN)
The Kanektok River, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
GeoSpatial Services (GSS) was invited to join two other agencies in the field this summer on an Alaska river float trip. The trip was in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) and traversed nearly 80 miles of Wilderness Area, which would otherwise be inaccessible for these groups to gather information on.
As a cooperator with the USFWS's National Wetlands Inventory (NWI), GSS was asked to represent the NWI and join the USFWS TNWR Staff as well as the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey Staff on the weeks-long journey.
Each of these agencies had goals for the specific data collection along the way, however, one of the primary goals of the collaboration was to interact with the other groups and gain valuable insight and understanding of each group's work.
GSS's Ben Moonen updates laminated maps created for the float trip.
The Refuge Staff was 'checking multiple boxes' while on the Kanektok River. Aside from the obvious need to be out and about in the Refuge, the team of Deputy Refuge Mgr, Stan Culling and Refuge Fish Biologist Truett Cawling were also utilizing the time on the Kanektok to sample Grayling and better understand the river as Grayling habitat. They were also happy to interact with River Guides who utilize the river and do some outreach.
Refuge Staff collecting fish data, collecting temperature monitors and interacting with River Guides.
USDA-NRCS Soil Scientist, Abbie Clapp and Ecologist Scott Debruyne were seeking to add soils and plants data from the area to their overall mapping of Alaska. The group would pause floats or start each day, with a hike to sites of interest to the NRCS staff. Soils and plants data were recorded and will be shared to the group for further understanding.
Mulitiple soil sample trips were made each day to gather data.
GSS's primary mission was to understand and map the river and its surrounding landscapes within the USFWS NWI Mapping standards. Large maps containing mapping imagery and other pertinent information.
An overview map was crated and laminated for use on the trip.
A series of 12 maps were created at GSS and laminated for the work and wetland/upland deliniation was created with markers to later be transferred to a GIS. Three of these maps are shared above.
Cooperation & collaboration lead to a successful trip.
webmap
Use this interactive map to explore river miles and photos from the trip.
It would be unfair to not say that the trip was also enjoyable!
