On Copper River: Alaska LEOS join interagency river patrol
ALASKA—There are multiple federal agencies managing public lands in Alaska, but sometimes we are all in the same boat—literally!
That was the case earlier this summer when law enforcement officers from the Forest Service joined rangers from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve on a rafting journey down Alaska’s Copper River—all part of an interagency patrol.
Forest Service’s John Brinley and Andy Morse; National Park Service’s Stephens Harper, Elizabeth Schafer and Spencer Williamson; and Sam Cox, a McCarthy River Tours Rafting guide, took on the five-night, six-day quest after a gap of a couple of years.
Morse, a Forest Service law enforcement officer on the Chugach, recalled earlier journeys that came before the June 8-14 expedition. “I didn’t realize it, but it has been a good 10 years since I’ve done this trip,” said Morse. “I’ve tackled it at least five or six times myself, but it has been a while.”
The 100-mile adventure from Chitina to Cordova served several purposes.
It was a great bonding opportunity for the six-person team. The officers learned to work together as they maneuvered their two 16-foot rafts and two packrafts—a new smaller, lighter vessel.
“I paddled in the packraft at least two-thirds of the time,” recalled Morse. “But certainly, was in and out of it often to get to know my fellow travelers on the larger boats.”
The group also found themselves teaming up to share their knowledge and experience on setting up camp each evening for a well-deserved rest.
The trip also allowed the observant rafters to patrol the river, checking on subsistence salmon dip-netting activity, historic and prehistoric sites, campsites, recreation use inventory, easements and bear bait stations.
The rafters also stopped in for a visit at the Native Village of Eyak’s Baird Camp, where a cooperative Chinook salmon study is underway at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Child's Glacier Sonar Station, where sockeye salmon are counted to help regulate the Copper River sockeye salmon fishery.
Morse described the stopovers as eye-opening. “It was a fantastic opportunity. The staff at these locations treated us like royalty, chauffeuring us on jet boats, and highlighting the various fish wheels in the area. Morse further described the innovative equipment as “windmills in the water.”
Morse said there are plans to conduct this patrol more often in the future. “Perhaps we will do this every couple of years, and next time, we will certainly make use of the packrafts for easier, quicker travel and rafting.”
In addition to the long list of activities conducted this time around, Morse said he has another project in mind. “We were surprised about the amount of river debris from fish camps and fish wheels that we saw in the water,” he said. “Perhaps a raft-based cleanup can be added to our list.”