Erosion caused by flooding and channel shifting at the confluence of the Chulitna, Susitna, and Talkeetna rivers is an immediate concern for the Talkeetna Community and the Mat-Su Borough. In a recent letter to Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna Devries and Manager Mike Brown outline the ongoing problem.
Talkeetna has a recent history of erosion at the end of Main Street and other areas downriver. Since a major flood in 2012, the confluence of the rivers where Talkeetna sits, has been shifting. River flow is now aiming directly at Talkeetna’s riverbank at the end of Main Street, causing significant erosion.
Now two years in a row of fall flooding and erosion have meant the Borough is running out of funds to make emergency repairs, much less, to build a permanent fix.
“Unless the conditions were to significantly change, this is going to continue to be a recurring issue so that’s why we want to figure out how can we do a better job putting a facility in place that would protect the town.”
Previous requests for federal funding to address the Talkeetna dike and revetment have not been fulfilled. The Army Corps of Engineers completed an erosion assessment and provided one viable option to rebuild the infrastructure. That erosion study was completed in January 2024.
The latest Borough letter provides historical context for the erosion and flooding, the erosion study, as well as what the repairs have cost to date. Brown says the Borough is looking at both short-term and long-term efforts for the town.
“In the short-term, in an ideal world, we’d like to make those repairs over the next month or so. And get that kind of addressed. And then we’ll continue to chase this long-term effort with the Corps [Army Corps of Engineers] to try to get some support and funding to come up with a better long-term solution.”
Without federal support, the Borough does not have enough funding to build the recommended permanent facility. Brown says the Borough is hopeful that federal elected officials will be able to help find the funding to make it happen. He encourages residents to reach out to their elected officials on the federal level to tell their stories about Talkeetna.
