Allison Creek weir removed, habitat improved

Alyeska contractor workers removed an obsolete weir in May to help rehabilitate Allison Creek stream habitat near the Valdez Marine Terminal (VMT).

The weir was first constructed in the mid-1970s as part of a system designed to provide fresh water for VMT boilers, however ice stresses had gradually degraded the structure. Alyeska installed a new water intake system in 2003, and has since worked to restore creek habitat by removing the old weir, building up the stream banks with large rocks and revegetating shorelines.

"This creek rehabilitation is intended to aid fish navigation and return the stream to its natural state," said Nita McCallum, construction supervisor for the Allison Creek project. "There is remarkable improvement in the way the stream looks since the weir removal."

The rehabilitation project has received favorable reviews from the Joint Pipeline Office (JPO), a consortium of federal and state agencies that provide regulatory oversight of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.

"This configuration will restore fish passage to areas above the old dam and create flow separation zones that can be used by fish for resting or as feeding lanes," said Dennis Gnath, a JPO habitat biologist. "It will also enhance stream habitat for other aquatic life in that area.”

The transplanted vegetation is already leafing out said Gnath. "Everyone at Alyeska who was involved in this project can be very proud of what was accomplished at Allison Creek."