
Fish and Wildlife Service / K. Mueller
Maintaining healthy runs of sockeye salmon, which are also known as red salmon, is critical to the ecological, economic, and cultural integrity of Lake Clark and the entire Bristol Bay region. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 established Lake Clark National Park and Preserve “to protect the watershed necessary for perpetuation of the red salmon fishery in Bristol Bay.”
In order to understand salmon population trends, the park operates counting towers on the Newhalen River to monitor sockeye returning to spawn in Lake Clark. The information gained allows the park to craft management strategies that ensure conservation of the fish while providing for subsistence and recreational needs.