Alexander Pond Monitoring Report

The Alexander Pond is located approximately 2.8 miles up Seiad Creek from its confluence with the Klamath River. This was the first off-channel feature constructed by the Mid Klamath Watershed Council (MKWC) and was completed in October, 2010. Funding for this project came from US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)/PacifiCorp Coho Enhancement Fund. The landowner, Thomas Alexander, supports this project and has signed a landowner agreement permitting pond construction and follow-up monitoring and maintenance for 10 years, with the potential to renew the landowner agreement before it lapses.

MKWC began project planning for the Alexander Pond in 2009. Field reviews with the Karuk Tribal Fisheries Program, landowner Tom Alexander, Rocco Fiori (Fiori GeoSciences, Inc.), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), NOAA Restoration Center, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW, US Forest Service and others helped to inform data collection needs prior to construction. MKWC performed a topographic survey, installed cross sections throughout the proposed outlet channel and the pond, dug three water quality monitoring wells within the perimeter of the off channel feature in the summer of 2009, and took monthly dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature readings from these wells. Based on our analysis, we found that the feature would likely have good DO levels, a range of suitable water temperatures for rearing coho salmon, and adequate volumes of water. Prior to construction, all necessary permits were secured, including a Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement from CDFW, Clean Water Act Section 401 certification from the State Water Resources Control Board, National Environmental Policy Act documentation from USFWS, and Clean Water Act Section 404 dredge and fill permits from the Army Corps.