Electrical Power for Valdez and the Copper River Basin-1981

oard feet of hardwoods, half of which is birch. The total volume ofcoastal forests is about 19.8 billion board feet, 67 percent of which isSitka spruce and 28 percent Western hemlock.Minerals:Metallic minerals occur in several areas. Lodes in many parts of theCopper River region contain copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, antimony,nickel, iron, lead and zinc, but only gold, copper and by-product silverwere mined commercially.Fisheries:Since mucnof the area is mountainous, the fisheries habitat ischaracterized by many short, steep, coastal streams which are utilized bypink and chum salmon. Cono salmon are also abundant in the study area,however they require somewhat larger streams where the young can survivein the stream for at least 1 year. Sockeye salmon are found primarily indrainages that contain a lake which is necessary to part of their lifecycle. Dolly Varden are present throughout the coastal streams withrainbow and cutthroat trout present to a lesser extent.Important marine fish and shellfish include salmon, herring, halibut,rockfish, black cod, king, tanner and dungeness crab, shrimp, scallops,and razor clams.Birds:The study area is an important migration route for many species ofwaterfowl and other water related birds. The Copper River Delta is oneof the most important waterfowl nesting areas in Alaska. Along with itsunique nesting population, the delta is probably most important as astaging and feeding area for migratory waterfowl bound to and from thearctic and subarctic nesting areas to the north. The entire coastal areais habitat for seabirds of various species. At least 48 major seabiracolonies have been identified in the study area, and undoubtedly manymore exist. Resident game birds of forest, treeless, and other habitatsare spruce, ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse; willow, rock and white-tailedptarmigan.Wildlife:The three geographical regions of the study area, coastal, mountain,and interior dictate the wildlife distribution and abundance. Severalwildlife species may be found in more than one area, however, they aregenerally more numerous within a specific area.Sea otters, fur seals, northern sea lions, harbor seals, harborporpoise, Dall's porpoise, killer and hump-backed whales are eitherresidents or regular visitors to the coastal waters of the stUdy area.Terrestrial animals associated with the coastal region in~lude the Sitkablack-tailed deer, which are primarily confined to tne is1ands of PrinceWilliam Sound (although some occur on the mainland near Cordova), and theblaCk bear.7