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Promoting Resilient Groundwater Resources and Holistic Watershed Management at the Kachemak Bay NERR

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As communities in Alaska ’s Kenai Lowlands prepare for a changing climate, information about groundwater is essential to manage the watershed for both people and salmon.

To better understand the availability of groundwater and how human activities impact this resource, a collaborative research project led by the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and University of South Florida built a model that shows the depth and extent of aquifers and predicts groundwater discharge and recharge. The project team joined this new science with local expertise to interpret the groundwater model for use in land use planning, permitting, policy decisions, and habitat protection. The project developed a suite of tools and trainings to help stakeholders better understand groundwater dynamics.

About this resource

This project overview highlights the project approach, results, benefits, and next steps.