NOTN- Alaska’s congressional delegation and State and City officials are urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for clarity and action after the agency abruptly pulled back from the lake tap enduring solution, viewed as the leading option for protecting the Mendenhall Valley from glacial lake outburst flooding long term.
Juneau Sen. Jesse Kiehl said U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan used all of his allotted time, and asked for more, during a U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing last Wednesday to question Army Corps leaders about their lack of clear plans for a permanent solution.
“One of our U.S. senators could have spent time on a lot of Alaska issues, and he spent every minute he had on Juneau’s issue, and I appreciate that kind of work,” Kiehl said.
The Army Corps recently informed local officials it is pivoting away from advancing the lake tap as the identified long-term fix for the glacial lake outburst flooding that has repeatedly damaged homes and infrastructure along the Mendenhall River.
Instead, Corps officials emphasized “robust flood fighting”, emergency-response measures such as HESCO Barriers, while expressing continued, but less defined, interest in long-term mitigation.
City Manager Katie Koester said in a published update, “I want to acknowledge the weight of that update as it threatens the longevity of our entire community. Many of us have invested years of effort, advocacy, and hope into advancing a long-term solution.”
Koester said she is “deeply concerned that all planning and design efforts have been diverted to flood fighting,” leaving uncertainty around an enduring solution.
Since learning of the Corps’ change in direction, Koester said Juneau officials have been in active talks with Alaska’s federal delegation and senior Army leaders.
She met with staff from Sullivan’s office and with Lee Forsgren, the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, who she said reaffirmed “his commitment to an enduring solution for Juneau,” though it remains unclear what that will be.
Koester said she has also met with staff for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
“I want to emphasize that our delegation remains dedicated advocates for this project and for Juneau. Their engagement has been evidence of that.” Koester wrote.
During Wednesday’s Senate hearing, Sullivan pressed Army officials about the Corps’ reversal, the urgency of the threat and the need for both interim protections and a permanent fix. Senior officials reiterated a commitment to work toward a “durable solution” and agreed to travel to Juneau this spring.
“That visit will be an important opportunity to demonstrate the unique and imminent threat facing our community and to press for clarity on the path forward.” said Koester.
Koester stressed that Juneau is not waiting for federal decisions. The city has submitted a $8 million Congressionally Directed Spending request to fund geotechnical and planning work for the lake tap approach, which she described as the most cost-effective, fastest to implement and least disruptive option for reducing flood risk across the valley.
Kiehl said the Army Corps is “absolutely feeling the need and the pressure from our delegation in Washington, D.C.” but added that locals will keep pressing until a clear long-term plan is back on the table.
