Electrical Power for Valdez and the Copper River Basin-1981

weir to the mouth, with the majority of spawning occurring in theintertidal area. There are approximately 500 lineal feet of suitableintertidal spawning habitat. Prior to the construction of the weir byAlyesKa Pipeline Service Company for a water gallery, it is believed pinKsalmon spawning, in odd years when stronger runs occurred, existed abovethe weir. A fiSh passage facility was incorporated with the weirconstruction, however, it has proven unsuccessful.Escapement for Allison CreeK has been estimated by the AlasKa Departmentof Fish and Game and indicates a high of 750 spawning pink salmon in 1961and a high of 2,660 chum salmon in 1963 (Appendix E, Table 7). The AlaskaDepartment of Fish and Game attempted an escapement count in August of1980. Due to high turbidity, the count was unsuccessful.Dolly Varden char, and sculpin have also been identified as using AllisonCreek. Allison Lake has no known fishery population.e. Marine: The intertidal area at the mouth of Allison CreeK consistsof gravel, small cobble, and boulders. There is little saltwaterintrusion of Allison Creek because of the gradient of the creek near themouth. Dense populations of rockweed and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)are the most conspicuous species. Smaller populations of gastropods,arthropods, and other marine invertebrates typical of a rocky,semiprotected shoreline occur within the area which may be affected bythe proposed project. Although no finfish were observed, the areaprobably supports those fish typical of the nearshore habitat.Port Valdez supports and is visited by several marine mammals which maybe affected by the proposed project. HIe shore area from 0.3 miles westof Allison Creek to 0.3 miles west of Dayville Flats Creek has beenidentified as a feeding area for sea otters and harbor seals.Species lists for the marine environment in the Valdez area are includedin Appendix E, Table 5.f. Rdre and Endangered Species: No rare and endangered species wereidentified for the proposed project area. Refer to U.S. Fish andWildlife letter, Appendix E.3. Socio-economicsPrior to the construction of the Alaska Railroad, Valdez was the onlyall-season port of entry to the interior. The AlasKa Railroad establishedthe rail system from Seward to Fairbanks through Anchorage whicheliminated Valdez as an important port of entry to the interior.During the perioo preceding the construction of the Trans-Alaskapipeline, government was HIe largest employer. Although its importancehas lessened, government is still the largest single employer today.The population of Valdez has fluctuated dramatically in the past decadebecause of the local construction boom associated with the Trans AlaskaEIS-7