Evaluation of Water Research Needs in Alaska : Project Completion Report

Abstract

The water resource research requirements for Alaska revolve around the needs of a rapidly expanding population and industrial growth in an unpopulated country. It appears that many of the problems which have been researched elsewhere must be restudied in Alaska because of the extremes of climate which Alaska exhibits . Most of the southern coastal areas of the State exhibit from 70 to 350 inches of runoff per year and in much of the northern part of the State permafrost to great depths and seasonal frost lock virtually all of the water in the solid state for a major part of the year. Alaska Is proving to be an area with vast petroleum reserves. These reserves are being brought into production and are resulting in the development of previously unpopulated areas. The proper management of previously untouched waters requires knowledge of the nature of the existing resources and then an evaluation of the probable effects of alternative water uses in order to optimize the desirable use of Alaskan water resources. This evaluation of present conditions and the analysis of future possible uses provide vast amounts of required research.