May 15, 2026 — Groundwater discharge plays a critical role in salmon-rich rivers of Southcentral Alaska and managing this limited resource, particularly when salmon are migrating, requires a delicate balance.
These groundwaters also support increasing demands of people living in the area, as climate change introduces greater uncertainty in water resources and fisheries, notes a new study published in April in the online Journal of the American Water Resources Association.
Groundwater is traditionally defined as water stored and transmitted within the saturated zone but commonly includes the continuum of water stored and transmitted in both the unsaturated and saturated zones.