Winter travel, access, and changing snow and ice conditions in Alaska’s Copper River basin

Abstract

In Alaska’s Copper River Basin, less reliable snow and ice conditions, increasingly common in recent years, have presented challenges for winter activities such as trapping, hunting, and gathering firewood. While previous studies have drawn similar conclusions elsewhere in Alaska and the Circumpolar North, these impacts have not been explored in the Copper Basin, specifically. Data for this project were collected using a set of nine oral interviews, conducted with local residents who have extensive knowledge and experience with winter activities in the Copper River Basin. In past decades, crossing rivers was less treacherous and could be done earlier in the fall and later in the spring. During midwinter, travel across or along rivers and streams mostly tended to be predictable, with some exceptions. Over the course of several decades, people have observed large-scale changes in ice conditions. One of the most significant outcomes has been the difficulty this has created for trappers and others trying to access the east side of the Copper River during the winter months. Some Elders have noticed these changes beginning as long ago as the 1970s, or even earlier. Interview Respondents have described significant changes in winter snow conditions occurring since the mid-20th century, although these have been more inconsistent and irregular than corresponding changes in the ice conditions. Decreased snowpacks—especially during the early season—have increasingly presented an obstacle to winter access along the snowmachine trails used by trappers and others. Additionally, several interview respondents reported that increased shrub-growth had made it more difficult to travel across the winter landscape, requiring them to cut trails through the forest—something that never used to be necessary. Finally, several socio-economic and technological factors have interacted with climate change, impacting patterns of winter use of the Copper River Basin during the past several decades. This report was produced for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve through a co-stewardship agreement with the Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission, whose mission is to honor and integrate traditional knowledge and values through stewardship that is innovative and respectful of the land for all generations.