Cordova

Climate planning for fishing communities.
Cordova is a small community located in the South Central region of the Gulf of Alaska and is a part of the Chugach Census area. The town of Cordova sits on the edge of Orca Inlet. To the west lies Prince William Sound, a protected body of water that is host to diverse marine life, over one hundred tidewater glaciers, and dotted with native villages. On the other side of Orca Inlet, the glacial silt colored waters of the Copper River form Cordova’s easternmost boundary. There the vast delta wetlands protruding from the Chugach mountains give way to everchanging sand flats at the river’s mouth. Both bodies of water; Prince William Sound and the Copper River delta, host abundant fisheries.
The region is not connected to the larger road system and therefore travel and shipping of goods occurs primarily by ferry, personal marine vessels, and by plane. Cordova’s year-round population sits below 3,000 residents and swells in the summer months with an influx of seasonal labor related to fisheries.

Diverse Fisheries

Cordova is home to a variety of fisheries managed on both the state and federal levels.

This diverse array for fisheries supports over 10,000 fishery related workers in the region year round. One-third of Alaska’s resident commercial fishermen (including active permit holders and crew) live in this Southcentral region, more than any other region. Residents of this region own 2,070 fishing vessels, the highest resident owner rate in the state after Southeast.

A History of Resilience

Cordova and its economy are no stranger to resiliency in the face of change.

In 1964 the Good Friday Earthquake caused damage across the region resulting in significant infrastructure damage, ecological change, and loss of life. The 9.2 magnitude earthquake remains one of the largest ever recorded in North America, changing the geography of coastal areas around the Gulf permanently.

In 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil spill dealt another blow to the region when nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil was released into Alaska’s Prince William Sound, wreaking havoc on the region’s marine life and fisheries. Key species such as salmon and herring were directly affected by the spill.

After the spill, the Prince William Sound Science Center was officially formed and took actions related directly to oil spill response in the region. Since that time PWSSC has expanded to be a hub of scientific research and community education in the region.

Cordova and the Chugach region are now looking ahead to our next season of resilience in the face of a rapidly changing climate. By assessing climate related vulnerabilities, and creating community lead plans to address these challenges, the region’s economy and ecosystems will be better prepared to adapt to future ocean conditions.

Community Leads

Prince William Sound Contact

Katrina Hoffman

Prince William Sound Science Center

About Katrina

Katrina Hoffman is the president and CEO of the Prince William Sound Science Center, the administrative principal investigator of Gulf Watch Alaska, and she sits on the Board of the Alaska Ocean Observing System and the North Pacific Research Board.

Cordova Contact

Kinsey Brown

Organization

About Kinsey

Kinsey Brown is a fisheries specialist and applied anthropologist working to advance fisheries resilience in the Pacific through qualitative research that utilizes locally-based approaches to fishery resource stewardship.

Ongoing projectss

In the spring of 2024 community leaders and commercial fishermen met to discuss vulnerabilities to the community. These discussions were supported by several in depth vulnerability assessments completed by participants who were prompted to think on both the challenges that Cordova could face in the future and the effect of those challenges on the community. These finding were presented both locally and at the National Working Waterfronts Conference (will hopefully have link to article here).

In November, participants from the Cordova fishing community gathered for the first round of the Adaptations workshop, collaborating in small groups to brainstorm solutions for challenges presented by a changing climate that face the community. These challenges were categorized into five key themes: Workforce Development, Policy and Management, Environmental Stewardship, Sustainable Seafood Markets, and Energy Independence. Participants were asked to ponder the question: what could Cordova look like in 2025?

The next step will be to continue to ground truth and expand on community responses and adaptations. In early summer 2025 PWSSC will host a variety of opportunities for community members and industry leaders to give input on plan outlines that will provide a roadmap towards possible projects, priorities, and funding streams to address vulnerabilities.

Interested in being a part of this effort?

Reach out to Kinsey Brown (kinseykbrown@gmail.com) or Hayley Fleming (hhoover@pwssc.org) for more info.