Utilities reject Anchorage Assembly’s call for a 2-year pause on Eklutna dam mitigation

Eklutna Lake in the Chugach State Park is the water reservoir for the Alaska's largest city Anchorage as seen on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. The federal government sold the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project to the utilities under the terms of the 1991 agreement, which outlined the ongoing, legally-required effort to mitigate impacts of the earthen dam at the base of Eklutna Lake. The dam has dried up much of the 12-mile Eklutna River since it was built by the federal government in 1955.

Assembly Vice Chair Meg Zaletel said in a written statement, “it’s unfortunate that the utilities won’t do the reasonable thing and take a pause.” The utilities’ plan could bring water to most of the riverbed as early as 2027, but it would not restore salmon to Eklutna Lake and to mountain streams that feed the lake.

The water utility could be affected in numerous ways, and those impacts would require further study and risk assessment, according to Corsentino’s letter. Changes in lake levels and water quality could affect the infrastructure, including the possibility that the current water intake might not work during periods of low lake level, he said. Uncontrolled flows of the reestablished river could scour and expose the water main and “threaten AWWU’s ability to reliably provide water.

The utilities pointed to dam removal and restoration work in Washington state that has been estimated to cost more than $350 million, including measures to protect water treatment and supplies, though they said that “may or may not” be indicative of potential costs to remove the Eklutna dam.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Eklutna hydro owners say they won’t extend wildlife restoration processStakeholders who have fundamental objections have little time for further negotiation, and little recourse but federal court.
Source: AKpublicnews - 🏆 387. / 55 Read more »

Warmer weather brings chance of rain-snow mix to Anchorage starting Friday nightA foot of snow and 90 mph wind gusts early Friday pushed avalanche danger to high in Turnagain Pass.
Source: adndotcom - 🏆 293. / 63 Read more »

Big Lake lawmaker proposes state port authority take over Anchorage and Mat-Su portsRep. Kevin McCabe said he wasn’t able to answer questions about compensation for local governments, impacts to local property taxes or how port user groups feel about it.
Source: AKpublicnews - 🏆 387. / 55 Read more »

Roof collapses on unoccupied Anchorage commercial building with heavy snow loadTen commercial roofs have collapsed this season under heavy snow, officials said.
Source: adndotcom - 🏆 293. / 63 Read more »

Anchorage launches online checkbook, allowing public to access city financial recordsAssembly chair Chris Constant says the new program allows the public to access city financial records without filing a records request.
Source: AKpublicnews - 🏆 387. / 55 Read more »

Anchorage man charged with murder in Taku neighborhood shootingA man was killed in an early morning shooting Saturday, leading to an arrest and murder charges connected to the homicide investigation.
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »