Kenai Mountains to Sea: Using Thermal Infrared Imagery to Implement Long-Term Salmon Conservation

In 2020, Cook Inletkeeper acquired thermal imagery for 36.7 miles of the lower sections of four watersheds in the central Kenai Peninsula area to map discrete cold-water refugia for migrating, spawning, and rearing salmon. In recent years, these lower reaches have exhibited warm temperatures and thus presented a potential concern. With over 60 cold-water inflows mapped, productive conservation actions in the four study watersheds can move forward with unique opportunities based on public and private land owners.

This project will identify cold water habitat critical for salmon through thermal infrared imagery and begin the process of protecting it through land conservation and outreach efforts. Conservation of thermal refugia important to salmon will improve landscape-scale resilience to climate and land use changes.