Programs
Oblukovina, Krutogorova & Kolpakova RiversProtected & Priority Areas
The Oblukovina, Krutogorova, and Kolpakova river basins combine to make a three-basin salmon ecosystem in western Kamchatka that is over 2.4 million acres. The watershed is home to all species of Pacific salmon, including stream-rearing sockeye (red) and cherry salmon. Their pristine, or near-pristine, condition and limited human impact makes these rivers ideal for conservation. WSC and its partners, Moscow State University and Flathead Lake Biological Station (University of Montana), have conducted research expeditions on the Oblukovina and Krutogorova rivers for nearly ten years, producing some of the most definitive works on river ecosystems and Kamchatka steelhead.
Through the leadership of our partner organization on Kamchatka, the Wild Fishes and Biodiversity Foundation, the Oblukovina, Krutogorova, and Kolpakova watersheds are in the final stages of protected area designation. They have passed the federal "expertiza" scientific assessment and are awaiting an official decree from the governor of Kamchatka.
In the near future, the Oblukovina River will be designated as a Salmon Protected Area and the adjacent Krutogorova and Kolpakova river basins will have an enhanced salmon monitoring and co-management regime, allowing both better protection of the salmon habitat and development of natural resources in close partnerships with local stakeholders, NGOs, Kamchatka Administration and extractive industries.