Phase II Restoration
The success of Phase I made it increasingly apparent additional restoration would likely have similar benefits along other sections of Resurrection Creek, and the Forest Service began planning for Phase II. Without active restoration, this prime habitat in the heart of the Chugach National Forest would never return to the thriving fish and wildlife habitat it once was. Similar to the Phase I project area, hydraulic mining at the turn of the century had degraded the main stream channel farther downstream; however, this area lies within active mining claims held by the Hope Mining Company. Through a collaboration between the Hope Mining Company and the Forest Service, a restoration corridor was established to allow in-stream and riparian restoration to take place alongside nearby mining activities. This coordination is essential to the success of the project.
Phase II will restore a 2.2-mile segment of Resurrection Creek and 74 acres of riparian habitat in the lower and more accessible reaches of the creek. The restoration includes the same tactics that were successful during Phase I, including rebuilding the degraded stream channel and floodplains, constructing pools, side channels and ponds, installing logs and root-wads, and re-vegetating stream banks and riparian areas. Construction on this project began in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2025.
An off-channel pond in the Phase II corridor
Restoration of this stream corridor will improve conditions within the Resurrection Creek watershed and provide long-term benefits for the stream, the salmon that inhabit it, nearby wildlife, and the many people that fish or use the creek for subsistence and recreation. Improvements to salmon spawning and rearing habitat will help ensure a more robust and resilient fish population and greater opportunities for fishing in this popular recreation area just 2 hours south of Anchorage.