Watermelon Trail reroute near Homer starts Aug. 19

Construction begins Aug. 19 on a reroute of the Watermelon Trail near Homer, where the existing route has eroded up to 6 feet deep and washes sediment into Beaver Creek, an anadromous stream, meaning salmon spawn, rear or migrate there.

The trail's alignment dates to the 1920s and follows the fall line, the steepest and most direct route down the slope. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the improvements are intended to provide a durable route that can support ATV and snowmachine use while protecting the ecological integrity of the Anchor River - Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area.

The trail has been on restoration lists for close to two decades. The 2007 Anchor River Watershed Action Plan recommended restoration planning for the Watermelon Trail crossing at Beaver Creek and described the trail as an erosional gully. Homer Soil and Water Conservation District board minutes from September 2018 record discussion of contract work on the trail. The district's fall 2020 newsletter described repairs on several stretches and the use of geoblock panels to address mud holes and trail widening. Beaver Creek is listed in ADF&G's Anadromous Waters Catalog, the state record of waters important to salmon spawning, rearing or migration.

Work includes new sustainable routing, closing and rehabilitating old trail sections to restore vegetation, filling muckholes to stop the trail from braiding, and installing bridges. Sections that now cross private Cook Inlet Region, Inc. land will be realigned onto public land.

Construction pauses Sept. 16 through 19 and Sept. 22 through 25, when the Lower Kenai Controlled Use Area, which lies in Unit 15C, is closed to motorized vehicle use for big game hunting.

The project is a cooperative effort of ADF&G and the Homer district. Completion is planned for fall 2027.

Residents and trail users in the Homer and Anchor River area use the route for access, recreation and travel, and stand to be affected by the realignment and by construction-season disruption. Neither agency released comment from trail users with the announcement, and no user response was available.

Until the new route is built, users are asked to stay on designated routes and follow posted signs.

Questions about the project can go to Steve Matsuoka, Lands and Refuges Program coordinator with ADF&G's Division of Wildlife Conservation, at (907) 267-2274 or [email protected], or to Kyra Wagner, district manager of the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District, at (907) 299-4920 or [email protected]. ADF&G also maintains an Anchor River - Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area webpage.