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This website describes the process used to develop Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) to protect sensitive coastal environments in the Seward Zone of Cook Inlet. The Seward Zone, which is part of the Cook Inlet Subarea, extends along the eastern coast of the Kenai Peninsula, from Cape Puget to Nuka Point.
GRS are oil spill response plans tailored to protect a specific sensitive area from oil impacts following a spill. These response plans are map-based strategies that can save time during the critical first few hours of an oil spill response. They show responders where sensitive areas are located and where to place oil spill protection resources.
The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council has continued to support development of GRS in its areas of responsibility in Alaska. They have designated funding for 20 additional sites in the Seward Zone in 2011-2012. To assist in the development of the GRS, a workgroup was formed for the Seward Zone. Participants include State, Federal, and local governments, trustee agencies, and local spill response experts.
In the first round of development, the workgroup identified 29 sites from the list of candidate sites for GRS development. The workgroup met in Seward at the City Council Chambers on Thursday November 10, 2011 to identify additional high priority sites from the SSM for development into GRS. A summary of the meeting is available here. The 20 sites they identified are shown in the Index Maps. Below the maps is a list of the sites. Clicking on each site will initiate a download of a site map that displays the resources that are to be protected. Please review these maps and ensure that all the resources are included and are in the correct place. Send any corrections to:
Mark Janes at
mark@nukaresearch.com or
PO Box 191
Seldovia, Alaska 99663
The corrected maps will direct the response professionals in developing the GRS.
The resources at risk for each site at each location are listed in a site selection matrix (SSM, 44KB pdf). The key to that matrix can be found here. The site selection process involved a consideration of environmental sensitivity, risk of being impacted from a water borne spill; and feasibility of successfully protecting the site with existing technology.
Download a
printable copy of Map 1 in pdf format.
Download a
printable copy of Map 2 in pdf format.
If you would like to use the Google Earth software to visualize the candidate sites, you can download this file to load them into the program.
Color key:
Green: GRS is final and adopted into Subarea Contingency Plan.
Yellow: Site selected for GRS development; draft GRS may be available for review by Workgroup members.
Red: Candidate sites from which sites are selected for GRS development.
Index of Selected Sites
For each of the GRS sites selected in the Seward Zone, a response strategy is being created describing the Geographic Response Strategy for that site. Click on the link in the list below to view the site map that displays the resources that are to be protected.
CIS-01 Johnstone Bay-Salmon Stream
CIS-09 Aialik Bay Spawning Streams
CIS-16 Northwestern Lagoon/Otter Cove
CIS-30 Head of Puget Bay
CIS-31 Widby Bay
CIS-32 Horsehead Bay
CIS-33 Head of Day Harbor
CIS-34 Eldorado Narrow/ Cape Resurrection
CIS-35 Resurrection Bay/ Seward Lagoon
CIS-36 Bear Glacier Lagoon
CIS-37 Porcupine Cove
CIS-38 Chiswell Island
CIS-39 Holgate Arm
CIS-40 Sandy Bay & Cup Cove
CIS-41 Head of Paguna Arm
CIS-42 Delusion Creek
CIS-43 Nuka North Arm Spawning Stream 2
CIS-44 Nuka Island Spawning Stream & Rookery
CIS-45 Nuka Pass Spawning Stream
CIS-46 Outer Cove
Index of GRS Plans
For each of the GRS sites selected in the Seward Zone, a response strategy has been created describing the Geographic Response Strategy for that site.
The final Cook Inlet Seward Zone GRS documents have become sub-sections of the Cook Inlet GRS. The site-specific section of that document, Part 3, contains the Seward Zone introduction (82KB pdf) and the GRS listed below.
These documents are finalized and are available for download. They can be printed on 11" x 17" paper. The site numbers correspond to the numbers shown on the maps above.
Public involvement was essential to ensure that the sites selected and the strategies developed reflect the environmental protection priorities of local communities, stakeholders, and resource users. The workgroup sought public input to ensure that everyone with a stake in Cook Inlet was made aware of Geographic Response Strategies and their importance during an oil spill response.
If you have local knowledge about the Seward Zone or if you would like more information about Geographic Response Strategies please contact:
dec.spar.grs@alaska.gov
You can learn more about Geographic Response Strategies by reading our Frequently Asked Questions.
This page last updated:
November 30, 2011
by Nuka Research & Planning Group, LLC
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