Twenty three communities dot the 26,500 square miles of the Copper River watershed. Town populations range from 2,500 people in Cordova, located West of the Copper River delta, to 35 people in McCarthy, a village in the upper basin of the watershed.
Facts about the watershed:
- 26,500 square miles, with headwaters draining from Copper Glacier in the Wrangell Mountains
- Encompasses Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest National Park and Preserve in the U.S.
- Includes the Copper, Gulkana, Klutina, Chitina, Tazlina, Gakona and Tonsina Rivers along with hundreds of tributaries, lakes and smaller rivers
- Diverse wildlife habitat for bears, caribou, moose, mountain goats, sheep, wolves, waterfowl and many other species
- One of the last intact watersheds in North America
- Critical spawning habitat for three species of wild salmon that are the foundation of our ecosystem, culture and economy.
Facts about the Copper River Watershed Project:
- Created in 1999 by Founder Riki Ott
- 1999 Kristin Carpenter becomes first Executive Director
- First culvert replacement project in partnership with Bill Rice and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- 2003 CRWP moved to a new office
- 2006-2007 Becky Clausen created a point system to rate culverts in the watershed
- 2008-2024 Kate Morse expanded programs as the Program Director
- 2019-2024 Lisa Docken came aboard as Executive Director
- 2022 CRWP was awarded funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for culvert replacement and fish passage restoration projects
- 2023 established first full-time permanent upriver position hiring a Watershed Stewardship Program Manager
- 2024 Kate Morse becomes Executive Director
- 2024 Kate Morse spoke at the Alaska Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C,. highlighting the positive impacts of BIL funding in the region
- 2024 Eyak Lake Weir Project moves forward with 100% design completion
- 2024 CRWP expands staff hiring a full-time Partnership Administrator and Operations Manager
