OUR VISION
We believe the Copper River watershed can have a vibrant, healthy future.
These little alevin are all about the tank wiggle! We’re going to have some strong swimmers in this bunch, which is good because students will be releasing them into wild waters where they’ll grow up, and eventually make their way to the sea. But first they have to grow up 🙂
Subscribe to our email list for updates from classroom tanks. Later this spring, students will wade out into the watershed and release the baby salmon. Don’t miss it! 🐟
Copper River.org
#salmonintheclassroom #copperriverwatershed
#youthprograms
Spring is here and that means gardening season is right around the corner!
As you plan what seeds to sow, consider native plants! They help pollinators, are resilient, and keep invasive species from taking hold and taking over sensitive areas like waterways where salmon spawn. Whether you live in a neighborhood in town or more remotely, seeds from invasive plants in your yard can spread far and wide.
Some of the prettiest flowers can be invasive, like orange hawkweed, a very aggressive plant in Cordova that is extremely difficult to get rid of once established, and white sweet clover in the Copper Basin that spreads extremely fast.
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Find out more about Alaska Invasive Species at:
Alaska Invasive Species Partnership https://alaskainvasives.org/
CRWP`s Invasive Plant Program https://copperriver.org/programs/invasive-plant-management/
Spring is here, and that means gardening season is right around the corner! #copperriverwatershed
Daily headlines are overwhelming right now as we navigate frozen grant funds, the rescinding of existing grant agreements, and the uncertainty of future funding. Significant funding for habitat restoration in the Copper River watershed has been halted, stalling out over five years of partnership coordination taken on by the team here at CRWP.
Forward progress on restoration projects has been halted as tariffs significantly increase material costs, and uncertainty in contractual funding leaves our small organization unable to award large construction contracts.
What is keeping us going? YOU. Your support and donations right now are keeping the lights on, keeping baby fish growing in classroom tanks, and keeping our staff and volunteers in the field to do what we can to keep the Copper River region thriving.
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Your donation really matters. If you can, consider giving to keep our watershed healthy.
Tap our bio link and select the Donate to CRWP button.
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📷 Michael Levshakoff/Chugach Alaska Corporation - Colleen Merrick (CRNA/CRWP), Amanda Jackson (CRWP Staff), Tenley Nelson (CRWP Board Member), Alexis Cooper (CRWP Staff), Lakota Roberts (CRNA) replanting native plants along the banks of the Little Tonsina bridge project.
Join us on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 6pm next week for our Annual Meeting and Spring Wild Food Feast!
✨ This is a hybrid meeting (in-person + online) and a great opportunity to learn more about our fish habitat restoration work and hands-on learning opportunities for watershed youth - all made possible by the generous support of our members. Come see the impact your support is having and learn more about recent accomplishments and upcoming projects in the watershed.
🐟 CORDOVA - This is our Spring Wild Food Feast, so bring your favorite dish made with ingredients harvested from the watershed! $25 per person (free if you bring a dish to share).
WHERE: The Pioneer Igloo, 621 First Street, Cordova
🍿 COPPER BASIN - This is a watch party at the Glennallen High School after the Environmental Fair dinner. Join us for a presentation, discussion, and dessert!
WHERE: The Glennallen High School, 1976 Aurora Drive, Glennallen
🖥 ONLINE - Contact CRWP to register for the meeting and receive your Zoom link at info@copperriver.org or call 907-424-3334.
Not a member of CRWP? This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about our stewardship work in the Copper River watershed.
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CopperRiver.org
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#AnnualMeeting #nonprofitorganization #copperriverwatershed #CordovaAlaska #Glennallen
❄️ April snowshowers don`t stop watershed education!! ❄️
4th graders at Cordova`s Mt. Eccles Elementary School are learning about watersheds as part of the science curriculum, so teachers reached out to our Executive Director, Kate Morse. There`s no better place to learn about a watershed than by going outside and exploring one!
"At my station, we were building a model of a watershed and labeling/learning the different parts of a watershed. Thirty-five 4th graders rotated through 3 stations to play a game (to stay warm!), build a watershed with me, and then walk around Odiak watershed to collect garbage and observe the way humans have changed the land. Odiak pond supports Cutthroat Salmon, Coho Salmon, and sticklebacks; river otters, herons, kingfishers, Dusky Canada geese and numerous species of waterfowl—all right in the heart of Cordova, providing a great opportunity to see how our actions on land impact local ponds, streams, and lakes, and the many species that depend on them." —Kate Morse
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CopperRiver.org
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📷 CRWP - Cordova 4th-grade students bundled up in coats with hoods during heavy snowfall building a model of a watershed with CRWP`s Kate Morse.
#watershededucation #CordovaAlaska #getoutside #handsonlearning #OdiakPond
ARTISTS - Next week is the deadline to submit your art design for Salmon Jam!!
🎨 CONTEST DEADLINE: Tuesday, April 15th, 11:59pm.
If you win the contest, everyone in Cordova will be wearing YOUR art on t-shirts and festival merch, and you will receive a $250 cash prize, a weekend pass, and complementary logo gear! Be part of a long legacy of artists who use their creativity to make each Salmon Jam Festival memorable and fun!
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For submission guidelines, go to https://salmonjam.org/salmon-jam-design-contest/
🎸 Copper River Salmon Jam is July 18-19, 2025 🎶
#SalmonJam #CallforArtists #CordovaAlaska #SalmonArt
The last two months have felt like a lot of swimming upstream against very strong currents. We take heart and learn from the salmon who, every single year, leave the sea and swim upstream against enormous volumes of water to reach spawning grounds.
How much volume? It depends on many factors, including the time of year. High flows are typically in late July and early August when glacial melt and snowmelt are at their highest. From 1950 to 1990, the U.S. Geological Survey usgs monitored a gauge at O`Brien Creek, where the river begins to narrow just below the confluence of the Chitina and Copper Rivers. Some peak discharges measured well above 150,000 cfs (cubic feet per second), and a couple of notable events were over 200,000 cfs. One year, the gauge registered over 300,000 cfs - most likely an outburst flood from Van Cleave Glacier!
📈 USGS Gauge: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/15212000/#dataTypeId=daily-00060-0&period=periodOfRecord
Sockeye and Kings typically move through in June and early July, when flows usually range from 50,000 to 100,000 cfs during that time period. That`s a lot of volume to swim against.
The USGS gauge has long been inactive, but the National Weather Service nws now operates 2 gauge sites at the bridge over the Copper River near Chitina. They record stage height during ice-free months and will be operational in the summer.
📈 NWS Gauge: https://www.weather.gov/aprfc/rivobs
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CopperRiver.org
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📷 Kirsti Jurica/CRWP - A beautiful view of the mighty confluence of the Chitina and Copper Rivers.
#CopperRiver #copperrivergauge #rivervolume
The Cordova Science Gathering: From the Mountains to the Sea is happening November 4-7, 2025 — save the date! CRWP will be part of this event, celebrating science, art, and culture and promoting stewardship through collaboration and shared knowledge.
"This inclusive, community-centered event invites people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in meaningful dialogue, hands-on learning, and creative expression. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of ongoing research and monitoring efforts, exploring how science connects with everyday life in Cordova." — Native Village of Eyak
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#CordovaAlaska #CordovaScienceGathering #CSG #CRRC #PWSSC #NVE #copperriverwatershed
CORDOVA - Do you have old nets lying around? Next month, May 28th-29th, you can recycle your old fishing gear by bringing it to the baler on Whitshed Road, 10am-3pm.
Web has to be free of cork lines, weed lines, lead lines, purse lines, chafe gear and hangings - those can be recycled separately. Recycle your used fishing web and turn it into useful products like shoes, hats, knives, and other items!
And don`t forget you can recycle aluminum cans anytime! They are accepted for recycling behind A.C. and at the Baler on Whitshed Rd. The money raised from recycling aluminum cans goes towards making the net recycling program possible. It`s a win-win!!
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Find more information about our recycling program by tapping our bio link and selecting the Recycling Program button!
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#recyclingmatters #recycle #fishingwebrecycling #repurpose #CordovaAlaska
TODAY is the last day to apply for the 2025 Scholarships!
One graduating student from a school in the Copper Basin (Glennallen, Kenny Lake, or Slana High Schools) and one graduating student from Cordova High School will each be awarded a $1000 scholarship. Applications close at midnight tonight!!
Homeschool students in the region are also eligible to apply, as well as students who have spent a significant portion of their schooling in the Copper River watershed or students who have significant ties to the region.
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Download the application packet and find more information by tapping our bio link and selecting the Scholarship Application button.
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📷 # 1 - Mia Ranck, 2024 Copper Basin Scholarship winner. #2 - Floyd Witsoe, 2024 Cordova Scholarship winner.
#Scholarships #CordovaAlaska #CopperBasin #copperriverwatershed
The Environmental Fair on April 22-23rd at the Glennallen Highschool Auditorium features presentations on Wildfire Preparedness, Stewardship and Climate Change, Hunting and Fishing, Agriculture and Gardening, and other subjects that affect our region.
At 12:00pm on April 22nd, CRWP will be presenting some projects and happenings and will lead a fun game of Watershed Jeopardy with prizes! Join us at the Environmental Fair for some fun and games!
Scan the QR code for more information.
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CopperRiver.org
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#EnvironmentalFair #GlennallenAlaska #copperriverwatershed
The Application deadline for the 2025 CRWP Scholarships is this Friday, April 4, 2025!
The Copper River Watershed Project awards two $1000 scholarships annually in the spring to one student from a school in the Copper Basin (Glennallen, Kenny Lake, or Slana High Schools) and one graduating student from Cordova High School. Homeschool students in the region are also eligible to apply, as well as students who have spent a significant portion of their schooling in the Copper River watershed or students who have significant ties to the region.
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Find details and download the application packet at
https://copperriver.org/programs/watershed-education/scholarship-program/
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📷 # 1 - Mia Mia Siebenmorgen, 2022 Cordova Scholarship winner. #2 - Keegan Delaquito, 2022 Copper Basin Scholarship winner.
#Scholarships #CordovaAlaska #CopperBasin #copperriverwatershed
Have you heard?
You’re Invited to Our Annual Meeting and Wild Food Feast!
Join us for our Spring Wild Food Feast in Cordova, and a Watch Party in Glennallen or from anywhere online!
The Copper River Watershed Project invites our membership and community members to our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 23rd, to learn more about our ongoing stewardship work in the Copper River region. This is a hybrid event, so if you’re in Cordova, come to the Pioneer Igloo for the Spring Wild Food Feast, if you’re in the Copper Basin, join the watch party at Glennallen High School Library beginning shortly after the Environmental Fair, or you can tune in from anywhere via Zoom!
WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 6:00pm
WHERE: Cordova – Pioneer Igloo / Copper Basin – Glennallen High School
WHY: Annual Meeting, Spring Wild Food Feast (Cordova), Watch Party & Dessert (Glennallen)!!
For more information, please contact the Copper River Watershed Project at info@copperriver.org.
Come to Cordova on July 18-19th for Salmon Jam!
Join us for live jammin’ music, road races, delicious food, live art, and artisans, all celebrating what sustains us: Salmon and Art!
This is a FUNtastic music and art festival you don’t want to miss!
WHEN: July 18-19, 2025
WHERE: Cordova, Alaska
Bike, Paddle, Run in the Gakona TRIfesta!
This beloved triathlon event is located in the heart of the Copper River Basin. Participants bike to the infamous Gulkana River, then paddle downriver in whatever flotation device they like until the river crosses the Richardson Highway, where racers exit their watercraft and head back to the Gakona lodge on foot. The route intertwines with three scenic rivers and features views of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
WHEN: Saturday, July 26, 2025, 10:00am registration/11:00am race start
WHERE: Gakona Lodge
Our Programs Making a Difference
