Earlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a virtual meeting to discuss potential plans for flood control in Talkeetna.
If built, the project would represent the continuation of work that began not long after the September 2012 flood. Money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency eventually provided for returning the existing dike and revetment near Main Street to pre-flood condition, but it did not provide for additional protection.
That’s where Part 205 of the federal Flood Control Act comes in. For years, the Mat-Su Borough has been trying to get a project underway under Part 205, and the wheels have been slowly turning in the background.
Now, the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees projects under Part 205, has come up multiple possible projects to protect all or parts of Downtown and East Talkeetna as well as the River Subdivision. Measures considered include floodwalls, levees, raising structures above flood level, and buying out flood-prone properties.
At this point, a number of options are still on the table and must be measured up against a maximum price tag of about fifteen million dollars. Under the federal rules governing projects like this one, the borough would ultimately have to find a way to pay for about a third of the final cost.
At this stage, the Army Corps of Engineers knows it’s working with older data about the rivers and their channels for its modeling. Gathering new data will take place this summer.
If all goes to plan, the final report is set for approval in April or May of next year. In the meantime, there are three other public meetings scheduled, with the next taking place in July. In this month’s meeting, the Army Corps of Engineers said that local input and knowledge is welcomed.
The Mat-Su Borough has a page on its website dedicated to the project that includes the presentation from the most recent meeting as well as other information.
