Alaska SouthCentral Test Case: Adaptive Capacity in Communities of the Kenai River Watershed

The Southcentral test case will examine interactive drivers and patterns of change in ‘messy’ SES, the effects of these interactions, and the factors contributing to community response and adaptation in six communities on the road network: Kenai, Soldotna, Sterling, Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, and Seward. Primary changes in river hydrology include discharge, water temperature, and sedimentation, while landcover changes include urbanization, resource extraction infrastructure, drying wetlands, and forest fires.

Test case research objectives are:

Understand how hydrological and landscape change affect fluvial dynamics, water quality and salmon populations in the Kenai River watershed.
Understand the consequences of these changes on the use and values of salmon fisheries for communities in the watershed.
Evaluate the capacity of Kenai River communities to perceive, project and respond to anticipated change.