Project Description
The Swanson Unit has been in existence since 1957. It is currently operated by Union Oil Company of California. The 8000 acre leased area includes 65 drill pads, 35 miles of gravel road, 3 gravel pits, several buildlings, and several miles of seismic lines, utility right of ways, and pipelines. There are two bridges with open grates that cross the Swanson River, a signficant anadromous stream that flows into the Cook Inlet. The 17-mile Swanson River Road was constructed to access the unit. In addition to industrial vehicles, the Swanson River Road is currently the primary thoroughfare for public vehicular access to the Swanson and Swan Lake canoe systems within Congressionally-designated Wilderness. The road is hydro-axed along the right-of-way and the road surface is routinely graded by equipmented operated by a local contractor. The concern is that not only are exotic, invasive plants spreading throughout the unit, but they may spread down the Swanson/Swan Lake road into the canoe system. Also, chytrid fungus has been documented in wood frogs collected along the Swanson Road, one of two places in Alaska.
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