Kenai Watershed Forum

What Kenai Watershed Forum does

Kenai Watershed Forum (KWF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Soldotna, Alaska. It operates as the designated regional watershed organization for the Kenai Peninsula — an area spanning approximately 25,000 square miles, 14 major watersheds, more than 20,000 miles of stream habitat, and over 350,000 acres of wetland habitat. KWF coordinates the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership, one of 20 partnerships under the federally recognized National Fish Habitat Partnership, and delivers programs in education, research, and habitat restoration. The organization has documented cumulative outputs including 30,000 volunteer hours, 60,000 youth and adults educated, 46,000 pounds of debris removed, and 2,000 miles of healthy salmon habitat protected or restored.

KWF's core technical and programmatic capabilities include the Kenai River Baseline Water Quality Monitoring program (continuous since 2000), 20 AKTEMP water temperature logger sites recording every 15 minutes year-round, salmon habitat mapping using minnow traps and electrofishing, GIS-based impervious surface and stormwater analysis in partnership with St. Mary's University Geospatial Services, and thermal infrared imagery for cold water refugia identification in collaboration with Cook Inletkeeper and Kachemak Heritage Land Trust. KWF is currently adapting a >98%-accuracy predictive fish habitat model from the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership for southcentral Alaska. Youth programming spans school curricula, summer camps, Jr. Stream Watch, and the Adopt-A-Stream program. The organization produces peer-reviewed research and distributes community subawards (up to ~$5,000 each) to partners.

KWF's revenue model is nonprofit and diversified: individual and corporate donations (including Pick.Click.Give.), memberships, planned giving, and grant funding from at least seven federal and state sources (EPA, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART, National Coastal Resilience Fund, Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenai Community Foundation). It serves government agencies (Cities of Soldotna and Kenai, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Alaska Department of Fish and Game), partner nonprofits (Trout Unlimited, Cook Inletkeeper, Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, Homer Soil and Water Conservation District), community members, youth and families, volunteers, and riverside property owners. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants; the Stream Watch Volunteer Training is offered as a free online course with video content and quizzes.

Name

Kenai Watershed Forum

Legal name

Kenai Watershed Forum

Website

https://kenaiwatershed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kenai Watershed Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that delivers education, research, and restoration programs to protect watershed and salmon habitat across Alaska's 25,000-square-mile Kenai Peninsula.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Wetland, Riparian & Buffer Services (within forest landscapes) (AFAMAMAI), Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Assessments (EUAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Watershed conservation
• Water quality monitoring
• Salmon habitat restoration
• Environmental education programs
• Fish habitat mapping

Headquarters

HQ city

Soldotna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Individual and corporate donations through membership programs, annual appeals, and direct contributions. The organization operates a membership and giving program with options for Pick. Click. Give. and planned giving.
2. Grant Funding: Funding from government agencies and foundations including EPA subawards, Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund, Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART, National Coastal Resilience Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Kenai Community Foundation.
3. Community Subawards: Distributes subawards to partner organizations including Fish Habitat Mapping Community Subawards (up to $2,500 each) and Environmental Education Sub-Grants through Adopt-A-Stream program (approximately $5,000 each).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kenai Watershed Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers watershed conservation through education, restoration, and research programs on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. Its core offerings include the Kenai River Baseline Water Quality Monitoring program, Stream Watch volunteer training, salmon habitat mapping, youth/school environmental education, invasive species management, and streambank and fish passage restoration. The organization also coordinates the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership under the National Fish Habitat Partnership and distributes community subawards to partner nonprofits.

Product overview

Kenai Watershed Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides environmental education, restoration, and research programs focused on watershed health on the Kenai Peninsula. Rather than a technology product company, KWF offers a portfolio of conservation programs and services including the Kenai River Baseline Water Quality Monitoring program, Stream Watch volunteer program, youth education programs (school programs, summer camp, Jr. Stream Watch), salmon habitat mapping, invasive species management, and habitat restoration projects. These programs work collaboratively with community partners to protect and restore fish habitat, water quality, and watershed ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stream Watch Volunteer Training Free online volunteer training program that prepares community members to serve as Stream Watch ambassadors monitoring and stewarding river sites across the Kenai Peninsula.
• Salmon Habitat Mapping Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 46,000 pounds of debris removed from local waterways
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Kenaitze Indian TribecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Awarded a grant in 2025 to expand local surface water quality monitoring efforts. Working with KWF to assess water quality at new locations with tribal summer interns.
• Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat PartnershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKWF coordinates the Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership, one of 20 partnerships that make up the National Fish Habitat Partnership. This group facilitates millions of dollars of investment in fish habitat conservation projects on the Kenai Peninsula.
• SGS Laboratories (Anchorage)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides analysis of nutrients, metals, and other substances for water quality monitoring. SGS analyzes water samples for nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, copper, lead, and other parameters.
• City of Soldotna Wastewater Treatment PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides in-kind analysis of Total Suspended Solids and Fecal Coliform for water quality monitoring program.
• City of Kenai Wastewater Treatment PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides analysis of Total Suspended Solids for water quality monitoring program.
• Kenai Peninsula Chapter of Trout UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in salmon habitat mapping research. Collaborated with KWF from 2021-2024 to document 22.4 miles of stream and 173 lake acres of salmon habitat.
• Cook InletkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in cold water refugia mapping using thermal infrared imagery, wetlands work, and the Backyard Salmonscapes program.
• Kachemak Heritage Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on cold water refugia mapping and has protected 209+ acres of Kenai River watershed land since 2020.
• St. Mary's University of Minnesota Geospatial ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with KWF in 2021 to map impervious surface changes and in 2024 for stormwater hotspot identification pilot project.
• US Geological SurveycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with KWF from 2022-2024 to study future hydro-climate scenarios for Beaver Creek, assessing impacts of climate change on the tributary.
• Romey Riverscape SciencescoreTechnology or IntegrationConsultants providing technical expertise for fish habitat modeling and predictive mapping using approaches from Hoonah Native Forest Partnership.
• TerrainworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationConsultants providing technical expertise for fish habitat mapping and predictive modeling initiatives.
• Homer Soil and Water Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in invasive plant surveys and treatments, including work on bird vetch and orange hawkweed.
• Alaska Department of Fish and GamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the Anadromous Waters Catalog and works with KWF on habitat nominations, fish passage, and conservation planning.
• University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Conservation SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains the AKTEMP Water Temperature Database used by KWF for temperature logger data.
• Hoonah Native Forest PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped fish habitat modeling approach with >98% accuracy that KWF is adapting for southcentral Alaska.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Major conservation grantmaker that funds KWF's pike eradication project; comparable as a funder and program partner in fish habitat conservation rather than a direct programmatic peer.

Broad incumbents

• American Rivers: National nonprofit focused on river and watershed protection with advocacy, restoration, and education programs; offers comparable programmatic structure to KWF at a national scale.
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Large, established watershed restoration nonprofit with similar education, restoration, and advocacy programs but operating at much larger scale in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; offers structural and programmatic comparability to KWF.
• The Nature Conservancy (Alaska): Global conservation organization with an active Alaska chapter working on salmon habitat, watershed protection, and land conservation; provides a comparable nonprofit operating model with broader geographic scale.
• River Network: National nonprofit supporting grassroots watershed organizations through capacity building, training, and convening; offers a comparable mission and small-staff operating model even though it serves as an umbrella rather than a direct restoration entity.

Direct peers

• Cook Inletkeeper: Alaska-based nonprofit focused on watershed protection in the Cook Inlet region; directly collaborates with KWF on cold water refugia mapping, wetlands work, and the Backyard Salmonscapes program, sharing overlapping mission and geography.
• Kachemak Heritage Land Trust: Kenai-area land trust focused on land and water conservation; collaborates with KWF on cold water refugia mapping and has jointly protected 209+ acres of Kenai River watershed land since 2020.
• Trout Unlimited (Kenai Peninsula Chapter): Conservation nonprofit focused on coldwater fisheries and habitat; the Kenai Peninsula chapter partnered with KWF from 2021-2024 to document salmon habitat and shares overlapping salmon conservation mission.
• Homer Soil and Water Conservation District: Local conservation district on the Kenai Peninsula focused on soil and water resource management; partners with KWF on invasive plant surveys and treatments including bird vetch and orange hawkweed.

Regional players

• Alaska Department of Fish and Game: State agency managing fish and wildlife resources in Alaska; works with KWF on the Anadromous Waters Catalog, habitat nominations, fish passage, and conservation planning across overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KenaiWatershedForum
• Instagraminstagram.com/kenaiwatershedforum/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenai-watershed-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kenai Watershed Forum