UAA students conduct field studies on Girdwood streams

The following story was written by Brian Yannity and was originally printed in Turnagain Times on Oct. 1, 2009.

This past summer, students from the University of Alaska Anchorage, in conjunction with UAA faculty, conducted scientific stream water studies in Glacier Valley, also known as the Girdwood Valley.

The primary purpose of this field research is to begin to understand and document "baseline data" for potential small-scale hydroelectric developments associated with UAA's proposed Girdwood Renewable Energy Research & Discovery Center.

The student study team consisted of undergraduate students Seth Holtshouser, John Sitton and Michael Barnes, with assistance from researchers Matt Rogers and Dan Rinella of the UAA Environment and Natural Resources Institute (ENRI).

The team collected water samples from Crow, Milk, California, Alyeska, and Virgin Creeks from May through September, and will be analyzing the samples at ENRI's stable isotope laboratory.

These geochemistry measurements allow researchers to estimate the proportion of stream water derived from glacial melt, as opposed to ground water and rainfall. They also conducted periodic measurements of stream flow on Crow, California, Alyeska, and Virgin Creeks.

The Glacier Valley's streams have the potential to provide a significant fraction of Girdwood's electricity needs, but it is still unknown how much of this hydropower potential could be developed while maintaining sustainable aquatic and riparian systems. Stream flow measurements, water samples and on-site habitat studies are needed for engineering design and environmental impact assessment of the proposed hydroelectric facilities.

Also, the data collected will provide biologists, hydrologists, glaciologists, and other researchers with basic environmental data on the Girdwood watersheds. On the Alyeska Creek watershed in particular, the summer 2009 field data collection is the initial stage of the comprehensive "Alyeska Glacier to Bay" watershed study collaboration between UAA and Alyeska Resort. Since the beginning of the summer, the UAA team has been using an office and storage space generously donated by Alyeska Resort.

To date, there is very little published research on the terrestrial, riparian and aquatic habitats in the Girdwood Valley. The team of students and researchers, under the guidance of ENRI, hope to contribute knowledge on the ecosystems in the Glacier Valley watershed by monitoring and assessing water quality, water geochemistry, fish habitat and plant life.
UAA biologist Dr. Jeff Welker, the Director of ENRI, says "watershed studies require a multitude of disciplines and are important as we begin to understand how the mountain systems of Alaska are changing, and their ability to deliver renewable energy."

The design and development of a Girdwood Renewable Energy Research and Discovery Center will rely on the dynamics of the location, site-specific environmental conditions, the scale of available resources, and of course the preferences of the Girdwood community.
The field studies continued this autumn on the valley's streams and surveying students from UAA's Geomatics Department are doing topographic mapping at several sites in Girdwood. This past summer's fieldwork activities confirmed that Girdwood is an excellent field laboratory for scientific research and education. The team hopes this is just the beginning of a long, mutually beneficial relationship between UAA and the Girdwood community. For questions about the ongoing field research activities in the Glacier Valley, or suggestions on how UAA students and researchers could benefit the community, please send an e-mail to byanity@whpacific.com.

Brian Yanity is an electrical engineer with WHPacific, Inc. in Anchorage, and an Affiliate Research Professor at the UAA School of Engineering. For more information on the Girdwood Renewable Energy Research and Discovery Center project, download (http://www.engr.uaa.alaska.edu/research/Girdwood-Renewable-Energy-Project.cfm) the feasibility report.