The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gathered a group of potential industry partners in Juneau on Aug. 21 to discuss how they might drain Suicide Basin — the glacial lake that produces Juneau’s annual glacial outburst flood.
In a recording of the ‘Industry Day’ meeting obtained by Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks, Army Corps officials laid out an estimated timeframe for a permanent solution, with a goal to complete construction before the flood of 2030.
The Army Corps said in a press release that about 39 potential industry partners attended the event. The deadline for industry groups to submit proposals is Sept. 4. Then, the Army Corps will invite the best-qualified to present pitches — like in the show “Shark Tank” — at the end of September.
In the solicitation, the Army Corps wrote that its goal is to prevent water levels in Suicide Basin from rising enough to create a damaging flood. Engineers estimate that limit is an elevation of 1,100 feet — about 250 feet below a full basin. They also stipulated that proposals should plan to safely manage peak water speeds of approximately 1,000 cubic feet per second to protect downstream neighborhoods.
In the meeting recording, Army Corps officials said they would like to minimize impacts to recreation at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, but that a road to Nugget Creek could be on the table.
Although the Army Corps has not suggested methods industry groups should propose for the “emergency water conveyance prototype,” conversation at the meeting revolved around a tunnel, also called a lake tap.
That’s the solution the Army Corps previously landed on late last year. It would steadily channel water out of Suicide Basin like a bathtub drain, so it couldn’t rise to a level that would create a catastrophic flood.
The Corps expects to select a partner and solution this December.
Nahaku McFadden, a public information officer at the Army Corps, said funding for the full project is not yet secured.
“The Corps is currently using its authorities under Public Law 84-99 to fund the work to identify a contractor and complete the design using Flood Control and Coastal Emergency funding,” McFadden said in an email to KTOO. Once the Army Corps has a cost estimate for construction, “the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works may request funds for this effort to be included in the President’s annual budget submission to Congress.”
Officials said at the meeting that the chosen solution will be subject to a National Environmental Policy Act process. That involves an analysis of environmental impacts, consideration of alternatives and public engagement. Officials also said the potential effects on the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area will be assessed under the National Historic Preservation Act.
