TEXT FROM HABITAT STUDY CONDUCTED BY ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS

Safety Sound is an estuary that extends 16 kilometers southwest of the Village of Solomon and runs along the coast of Norton Sound (Figure 1; Orth, 1971). A near continuous barrier island separates Safety Sound from Norton Sound and the Bering Sea. The Nome-Council Road runs along this barrier island. The habitat within the lowlands of Safety Sound is broadly characterized by estuarine wetlands with sandy soils that are covered by moist coastal tundra and marsh vegetation. This area experiences periodic inundation and flooding during coastal storm surges (Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 1995). Habitat types common along the coastal lowlands of Safety Sound include beach dunes, maritime tundra (i.e., tussock tundra, coastal tundra with lichen-sedge), and wet meadows dominated by tussock-forming sedge (Kessel, 1989; USDA Soil Conservation Service 1984; USDA Soil Conservation Service 1994).

To date, fishery data on Safety Sound has focused on salmon. Hillgruber and Zimmerman (2009) provide a summary of historic salmon studies conducted in Safety Sound from 2002 to 2004, as well as other estuarine salmon studies in Kuskokwim Bay and Kotzebue Sound. From both a commercial and subsistence perspective, a focus on salmon is rational. However, studies that focus on a single species are often limited in scope with regard to understanding the intricate components and function of the ecosystem as a whole. Given that this knowledge gap exists, documenting the baseline inventory of fish species within Safety Sound is warranted.

Safety Sound is a significant refugia for many species of migratory bird. Seasonal migrants, such as waterfowl and shorebirds, use the area for breeding and nesting activities throughout the boreal summer. Safety Sound acts as a stopover site, and abundant resources within the estuary provide excellent foraging habitat for a diverse range of avian species. Likewise, Safety Sound and the greater extent of the Seward Peninsula is a key area for intercontinental overlap for Holarctic taxa that occur across Beringia. The large overlap of Eurasian and North American migration systems causes extensive seasonal contact between these lineages and populations. Rare and casual vagrants do occur on the Seward Peninsula; usually in small numbers on the perimeter of Alaska, or at irregular intervals coinciding with seasonal and regional patterns. Many Eurasian migratory species of bird have isolated breeding populations within this area (Kessel, 1989; Winker et al., 2023). Threatened and vulnerable avian species, such as the spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) and Steller’s eider (Polysticta stelleri), are occasionally present within Safety Sound; often using the area as a stopover site while migrating to breeding grounds at higher latitudes (Kessel, 1989; Petersen et al., 2020; Fredrickson, 2020). Eastern Norton Sound is also an important molting area for spectacled eiders from summer through fall (Sexson et al., 2016).

Many waterfowl and shorebird species are a common staple in the subsistence diet of local residents. Waterfowl in particular account for a large proportion of the annual wild bird harvest, making up approximately 85% of migratory birds taken for subsistence in Alaska (Naves et al., 2017). Safety Sound is also a prime waterfowl hunting and egg collecting area due to the abundance of birds in the area (Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 1995). Continued access to traditional subsistence resources within Safety Sound is an important consideration for community resilience and planning.

Large terrestrial and marine mammals are present within the area near Solomon and Safety Sound. Large terrestrial mammal species include caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti), muskox (Ovibos moschatus), moose (Alces alces), grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Small mammals e.g., voles and lemmings (subfamily Arvicolinae), and arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii) inhabit tussock tundra habitat. Marine mammals, such as the spotted seal (Phoca largha) are often observed within Safety Sound. Both terrestrial and marine mammals are harvested for traditional subsistence use by local residents.

Current levels of anthropogenic activity within Safety Sound and the area near Solomon are minimal. However, during the gold rush era of the early 1900s, the area near the mouth of the Solomon River was the starting point of the Council City and Solomon River Railroad in the early 1900s. The abandoned steam locomotive, known as the “The Last Train to Nowhere” is still visible in the wetlands near Solomon (Figure 5).