University of Alaska Fairbanks Cripple Creek and Nome Creek Projects
Dakota Keller, biology masters student at UAF, is currently studying the potential changes in macroinvertebrate communities following stream restoration practices on Cripple Creek, in Fairbanks, and Nome Creek, in the White Mountain Recreation Area. Both of these streams are within the broader Yukon River drainage and have a legacy of gold mining, which has resulted in diminished fish habitat and has consequently made them candidates for trialing stream restoration techniques geared towards increasing quality and quantity of fish habitat. Two seasons of macroinvertebrate samples will comprise her masters thesis project and help to characterize the early stages of recovery of these two streams. The macroinvertebrate community data will be used to assess how stream restorations mature over time biologically and the potential implications to fish food and habitat on two Interior Alaska streams with a legacy of gold mining.
Additionally, this project received a 2025 Mentorship award through the Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity fund (URSA) to mentor two undergraduate researchers, Sarah Nyland and Rachel Cox. They will be assisting with macroinvertebrate sampling, gaining both field and lab skills, as part of their experience working with the Alaska Rivers Lab this summer under the mentorship of Dakota and her advisor, Jeff Muehlbauer.
Contact dkeller14@alaska.edu with any questions or inquiries about this project
Arctic Beringia Fish Ecology 