Talkeetna residents were surprised three years ago to find the public access to Benka Lake blocked. Private landowners had determined their land extended into the access point and fenced it. The boat ramp and access point was built by the State and had been open since the 1960s. The State uses it each year for fish stocking and has since it was built, except for the time it was fenced. Some residents use it to launch boats to get to their parcels around the lake with no vehicle access.
Residents came together to form the Friends of Benka Lake, a group focused on restoring public access to the lake. The Friends took the issue to court where the landowners, the Brunzes, were ordered to temporarily restore access to its original state. Since that time, the State of Alaska, the Friends, and the landowners have been working toward a permanent agreement.
According to a response from the State of Alaska dated July 3rd, most of the demands from the Brunzes are unacceptable, inappropriate, or could be problematic from a legal standpoint for the State. In a response from the Brunzes’ attorney dated August 7th, the issue of defining historic use now appears to be the sticking point in determining an agreement, according to the Friends of Benka Lake attorney Mike Kramer.
In the past, residents could fish from the launch and set up chairs as they waited for boats to be pulled. The Brunzes are asking that only boat launching and retrieval be allowed. The State has not yet taken a position on how to respond at this time, according to Kramer. But in previous communications, the State says they will continue to protect those historic uses as long as the boat launch remains unobstructed.
If a settlement agreement isn’t decided by March 2026, it will go to court.
