Grantee Research Project Results

2015 Progress Report: Identifying, Assessing and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts to Yurok Water and Aquatic Resources, Food Security and Tribal Health

EPA Grant Number: R835604
Title: Identifying, Assessing and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts to Yurok Water and Aquatic Resources, Food Security and Tribal Health
Investigators: Fluharty, Suzanne , Wotkyns, Susan Rose
Current Investigators: Fluharty, Suzanne , Cozzetto, Karen
Institution: Yurok Tribe Environmental Program , Northern Arizona University
Current Institution: Yurok Tribe Environmental Program , Northern Arizona University , Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium , Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017 (Extended to June 30, 2018)
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2014 through June 30,2015
Project Amount: $908,965
RFA: Science for Sustainable and Healthy Tribes (2013) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Tribal Environmental Health Research , Human Health

Objective:

The Yurok Tribe is extremely vulnerable to hydrologic changes resulting from climate change due to their geographic location and reliance on surface waters and aquatic resources by tribal members. The study will identify areas of water resource vulnerability and resiliency, assess impacts on Yurok food security and tribal health, and will increase the Tribe’s adaptive capacity to prepare and respond to climate change.

Progress Summary:

All work is progressing on schedule and the actual accomplishments have met the goals and objectives (outputs/outcomes) for the period.

Preliminary data includes (1) locational data on tributaries and springs; (2) groundtruthing of domestic source water intakes; (3) documentation of Tribal community observations and concerns regarding climate change; (4) significant drought impacts (i.e., Young’s lake reduced to 6 foot pool); and (5) collection of sonde data on tributaries have revealed high conductivity that indicates excessive minerals and salts that may generate a public health risk that should be researched to determine what minerals are present and if levels are representation of ambient geologic conditions or an artifact of concentrated levels from drought conditions.

Future Activities:

Work in progress, schedule, and future activities are reported in Activities Chart 2015.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 16 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Harmful algal blooms, HABs, microcystin, blue green algae, paralytic shellfish poison, PSP, domoic acid, salmon, sturgeon, Pacific lamprey, mussels, cyanobacteria, Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia, Legionella

Relevant Websites:

Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP) Exit
Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP) Community and Ecosystems Division Exit
Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP) Community and Ecosystems Division: Reports and Documents Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.