University of Colorado Boulder Collaborative Research
Yukon River Watershed
Location — Yukon River Watershed Communities: Goldstream Valley, Circle, and Fort Yukon, Alaska
Challenge
Need for Better Monitoring and Forecasting Tools
Interior Alaska landscapes are changing as a result of climate change. Increasing permafrost thaw, shrinking/drying lakes, and methane emissions can impact utilities, transportation, water quality, subsistence, and other necessary services/activities. This research addresses a need for better monitoring and forecasting tools to help aid local land management planning.
Approach
Semi-structured Interviews, Participatory Mapping
NorthernSER is leading social science, outreach, and engagement activities in this collaborative effort involving other scientific disciplines (observing and modeling) and local knowledge holders. We are engaging local and indigenous knowledge to guide research, understand local priorities, identify sites of interest, define model parameters, and validate model outputs.
Permissions: Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments Resolution 2021-10. June 24, 2021.
IRB #1749162. Approved. April 1, 2022.
Outcome
Research is Ongoing
How will changes in thermokarst lake environments such as the one pictured here in Goldstream Valley, Fairbanks affect the ability to subsist in Alaskan communities? Credit: Frankie Carino @canonfan2010
Outreach Activities
Drone Workshop: We collaborated with CU Boulder and YRITWC teammates in the development and implementation of a Drone Workshop designed to provide useful drone mapping and imagery tools, and workflows to assist village environmental professionals and leadership with local planning efforts.
Left: “Flight instructor Chase Rupprecht goes over the pre-flight checklist prior to demonstrating a survey mission” Credit: T. Curry
Right: “Instructors Chase Rupprecht and Kevin Rozmiarek review aeronautical charts with workshop participants” Credit: T. Curry
