Stream Reclamation of Davis Creek-A Tale of Placer Mining in Alaska
Noel Turner
Bureau of Land Management
Alaska, Central Yukon Field Office
Fairbanks, Alaska
The lower limits of Davis Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the Koyukuk River near Coldfoot, Alaska, were placer mined to bedrock over several years during the early 1990s to early 2010s which left behind a highly altered, degraded, and incised stream channel. No measurable recovery was observed, even after mine operator attempts at stream stabilization requested by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Natural channel design techniques were implemented by BLM and with the mine operator to reclaim Davis Creek in two phases during summers 2021 and 2022. Constraints at this site included remoteness, friable bedrock, many extremely tight working areas, lack of large boulders and wood (by lower 48 standards), poor vegetation transplant quality, and new techniques for the equipment operators. Over the 1600 feet of stream reclamation, floodplain connectivity was restored to all Rosgen B-type reaches, step-pools and constructed riffles were created, riparian vegetation was transplanted, and floodplains were appropriately sloped and track walked. Despite the limitations of the site, the Davis Creek stream reclamation is showing early signs of successfully transplanted riparian vegetation withstanding a minor flood event in June 2023. However, several objectives for the project continue to fall short underscoring the challenges associated with placer mine reclamation in remote Alaska.
About Noel Turner
Noel Turner is a hydrologist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Alaska. Based in Fairbanks, she works in the Central Yukon Field Office, which manages lands between the Yukon River and the north side of the Brooks Range. Her academic background includes a Bachelors degree from Virginia Tech and a Masters degree from University of Arkansas; both in Geosciences. In graduate school, Noel worked for the US Geological Survey (USGS) while completing a thesis focused on groundwater hydrology. Prior to joining BLM AK, Noel worked for US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in various roles in Massachusetts and New Jersey. While at USFWS, she was part of a team that constructed and performed robust monitoring on coastal marsh restoration projects following Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. Since arriving in Fairbanks approximately two years ago, Noel has been fully immersed in all things Alaskan-hydrology from permafrost to placer mining and snow surveys to stream reclamation.