Chena River Fairbanks Parks’ Pet Waste Reduction and Education
This project was funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under assistance agreement number 00J84644 to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) through the Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) Program. The content of this site does not necessarily reflect the view and policies of the funders.
Between 2023-2025, TVWA worked with Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) Parks, and State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to install pet waste disposal and bag dispenser stations in parks along the Chena River. You might see these on the riverwalk near Pioneer Park, around parks downtown, and nearby some boat launches.
The messaging states:
“In Fairbanks storm drains collect storm water from the streets and highways and drain directly to the Chena River and Noyes Slough. Bacteria from pet waste gets into the watershed and can cause disease in people and are detrimental to fish spawning habitat. The Chena River is the second largest contributor of Chinook (King) salmon in the Yukon River Drainage. Thousands of baby King salmon live in the Chena River for up to 2 years before returning to the ocean. Picking up your dog's poop helps keep the Chena watershed clean and safe for everyone, including fish and wildlife!”
Final Project Report can be downloaded here: Pet Waste Reduction and Education Final Report
If you use the stations, please take the Scoop the Poop: Pet Waste Survey to continue helping our project evaluation.
Find out more in publications such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Best Management Practices (BMP) Pet Waste Management, which can be found along with others at EPA’s National Menu of Best Management Practices for Stormwater Public Education.
Photos above and in the gallery below provided courtesy of DEC Program Manager, Jeff Fisher. Feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more.
