Focus on Eklutna River Restoration
For nearly a century, migration of Eklutna River salmon has been blocked by hydroelectric dams and impacted by water diversions that have badly degraded the condition of the river. Recent efforts by the Eklutna River Restoration Coalition have resulted in the removal of the Lower Eklutna Dam, an important initial first step in the restoration. However, at present, little to no water flows out of Eklutna Lake into the Eklutna River, and as a result, accumulated sediments have built up, hindering the recovery of salmon habitat.
Through a government-to-government relationship established in 2021, the Anchorage Assembly and the Native Village of Eklutna have determined that one of the top priorities of the collaboration is restoration of the Eklutna River to allow for the recovery of salmon habitat.
Why Now? The Eklutna Fish and Wildlife Program
When the local Eklutna Hydroelectric Project Owners (Chugach Electric, Matanuska Electric, and Municipality of Anchorage) bought the project from the Federal Government in the 1990s, a 1991 purchase agreement set a requirement for the Project Owners to develop a Fish and Wildlife Program. The purpose of this program is to develop and implement measures to “protect, mitigate damages to, and enhance fish and wildlife (including related spawning grounds and habitat)” to counteract impacts of hydroelectric development in the Eklutna Valley. The plan was required to begin implementation by 30 years after the sale date.
The Project Owners released a draft plan in fall 2023 and plan to submit it to the Governor for approval at the end of April 2024.
Anchorage Assembly’s Concerns with Draft Fish and Wildlife Program
The Assembly has passed several resolutions and ordinances in recent years stressing its support for full restoration of the Eklutna River. This differs from the Project Owner’s proposal in the 2023 draft Fish and Wildlife Program, which proposes keeping the dam as it is, pulling water from the lake, directing it through an Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) pipe, and releasing it a mile downstream of the dam. At a cost of $57M, this plan would only release a small amount of water and continue to leave a mile of river directly below the dam dry, causing concern for supporters of full river restoration.
The Assembly is currently pursuing action to slow down submittal of the Draft Fish and Wildlife Program to the Governor until further options for river restoration are explored and more accurate cost estimates can be obtained.
Water Rights and Property Taxes
As part of the ongoing work in the once-in-a-generation effort to restore the Eklutna River, a secondary issue has arisen because the Project Owner’s proposed Draft Fish and Wildlife Program would bind the Municipality’s water rights for decades to come and put Municipal taxpayers on the hook for a large portion of the mitigation project. In spring 2024, the Assembly has been taking legal actions to better understand this issue and safeguard the Municipality’s water rights and protecting taxpayers from a giant bill.