Benka Lake enthusiasts were surprised last week when a fence was erected, blocking public access to the lake. Since that time, access to the lake has grown into a community-wide controversy. Some wonder about the ability to enjoy the popular recreation area in the future.
Joe Leply has owned his property on Benka Lake for thirty-five years. During that time, he’s known the public access point to be a beautiful spot for community members to launch watercraft and enjoy the lake.
Last week he heard the sound of a pile driver coming from his neighbor’s house. Turns out the pile driver was being used to erect a fence that was intended to block the only developed public access point at the lake.
“So when I heard it, then I called the Mat-Su Borough and the enforcement officer came out that day and went down there to talk to the people, but you couldn’t talk to the owner of the thing, you had to talk to his lawyer.”
The Benka Lake Subdivision was built in the 1960s and the current public access point has been used extensively as the only realistic access to the lake. Boats enter here, the Department of Fish and Game uses the site to stock fish in the lake and the Fire Department pulls their tankers to the water’s edge and fills from here. In fact, water from Benka Lake was used to fight the 2019 Malaspina fire, which threatened multiple homes in the area.
At dispute is a small section between where Lakeview Road ends and Benka Lake begins. Both Lakeview Road and Benka Lake are considered public places. Some neighbors state that there are plats that show a continuous access flow between the two. But at least one plat exists that shows a break between the two.
One potential problem, according to Leply, is that not everyone who lives on the lake, has the infrastructure to get their boat out of the water in the fall.
“Right now we have seven pontoon boats on this lake that can’t get off”.
Christian Whitecar lives a few miles away from Benka Lake. He describes how he enjoys the area.
“We go down there with a trailer, drop four kayaks, and then go and paddle the lake. You know, circumnavigate the lake and then pull out and leave. And a lot of people do that. A lot of people that either live on the lake, but a lot of people that don’t live on the lake go there and paddle. It’s very open to the public and usually you see a lot of other people out there besides us.”
After the fence was erected many community members were upset. The Mat-Su Borough has received numerous complaints, leading them to launch an investigation into how to resolve the issue. In the meantime, somebody took the matter into their own hands. Twenty-four hours after the fence was put up, it was forcefully torn down and destroyed.
Stefan Hinman is the Director of Public Affairs for the Mat-Su Borough. He says it will be at least a couple of weeks before Borough lawyers can pour through all the documents regarding access to Benka Lake and make a determination.
