The Institute of Northern Forestry is the lead agency for the Interagency
Hydrology Committee for Alaska and has operational responsibility for the
Caribou/Poker Creeks Research Watershed. This is a long-term field research
facility located 45 km north of Fairbanks.
The watershed was established as a site for long-term investigations in the taiga environment. Research is initially aimed toward developing an understanding of hydrologic, climatologic and environmental relationships in an undisturbed setting. The ultimate goal is the development of a conceptually valid, operationally useful understanding of this environmental system to assist in formulating resource management decisions.
CRREL's involvement is watershed modeling of permafrost verses non-permafrost areas.
In the summer of 1995 CRREL coordinated and managed the construction of
the 150-ft Bailey Bridge over the Chatanika River, allowing year-round access
into the watershed.