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Community Watershed Cleanups, Stormwater Controls, and Lake Dredging
Improve Water Quality and Recreation Uses
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undesirable wildlife; and (3) potential adverse
effects on resident fish habitat and their
populations.
Project Highlights
CBS, its contractor, and ADEC developed an
EPA-approved Swan Lake Watershed Recovery
Strategy and Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL) during 2000.
Restoration activities in the watershed include
annual community trash cleanups (Figure 2),
manual harvesting of lily pads in high-use
recreational areas, dredging the lake outlet
channel and the Wrinkleneck Creek delta,
monitoring by citizens and professionals,
improving hydraulic efficiency of culverts in the
Arrowhead Creek/Monastery Street intersec-
tion, and completing a stormwater control
strategy and a "state of the lake report" for
public education. Some activities were one-
time tasks; other tasks are continuing.
The Swan Lake watershed restoration project
continues to apply a broad number of best man-
agement practices for water quality protection.
Particular emphasis is placed on stormwater
collection and treatment, ranging from storm
drain stenciling to greater use of vegetative
swales to treat road runoff. Several tons of
trash and debris have been removed from the
creek and lake over the years. During the first
cleanup in 2000, volunteers collected more
than 6,600 pounds of trash and debris. In 2001
volunteers collected another 1,000 pounds,
including 12 metal gas cans and two large
storage tanks. Each year the amount collected
has decreased from the previous year.
Results
Citizen involvement continues for the ninth
consecutive Swan Lake Trash Cleanup sched-
uled for April 2008. This cleanup will continue
to be an annual event in coordination with a
citywide spring cleanup.
CBS believes the actions to date support mov-
ing the Swan Lake watershed to Category 2
in the 303(d) assessment report, which rep-
resents a waterbody that meets some desig-
nated uses but for which data is still needed
to determine whether it meets all designated
uses. The Swan Lake watershed team has an
implemented waterbody recovery plan and an
approved TMDL, which includes the annual
cleanups and monitoring.
CBS has provided the documentation confirm
ing that the TMDL continues to be implement-
ed and that water quality standards are being
met. As a result, Alaska removed Wrinkleneck
Creek and Swan Lake from its 2004 303(d)
list of impaired waters. The success of these
efforts reflects the community's commitment
and the implementation of the Swan Lake
Watershed Recovery Strategy.
Partners and Funding
CBS has received a total of $181,830 in sec-
tion 319 funds from ADEC for Swan Lake and
Wrinkleneck Creek recovery actions. CBS has
provided approximately $121,220 in matching
funds for these projects.
Figure 2. I he CBS team shows off a load of trash
collected during a Swan Lake cleanup.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-08-001C
April 2008
For additional information contact:
Mark Buggins, Environmental Superintendent
City and Borough of Sitka
907-966-2256 • markb@cityofsitka.com
Laura Eldred, Environmental Program Specialist
Alaska DEC Division of Water
907-376-1855 • laura.eldred@alaska.gov
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