The spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) population on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula began to become noticable during the early 1970's  After a period of relative inactivity during the late 1970's and 1980's, the beetle population increased to epidemic levels, causing catastrophic mortailty to the largely virgin white and Lutz spruce forests covering the peninsula's lowlands.  A combination of forest conditions, climate and human activity lead to this epidemic, which is a natural part of the forest cycle.  The last outbreak killed nearly all the old trees around Homer, on the southern peninsula during the 1880's.  Land managers charged with realizing a profit form their timbered lands have been logging in response to the beetle.  At the same time the human population of the Kenai Peninsula has increased over 300% since 1970.   Concerned about the impacts of increased activity, the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District contracted to Cook Inlet Keeper under the Lower Kenai Peninsula Watershed Health Project, where water quality of four important anadromous fish streams is monitored.

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Last modified 25 October, 2005