By BRENDA JOSEPHSON
Senator Dan Sullivan is working to address the glacial lake outburst floods caused by the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau by securing commitments from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
During a recent Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Sullivan urged Lt. Gen. William Graham Jr., the chief of engineers, and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle to provide short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to address the flooding that has plagued the capital city for over a decade.
Sullivan tied the Corps’ efforts to a broader policy shift, referencing President Trump’s Day One executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” The order directs the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to review and revise any actions hindering critical projects in Alaska. During Telle’s confirmation hearing, he memorably told Sullivan he had “tattooed” the order’s directive on his heart, a commitment Sullivan praised during the hearing.
The senator emphasized the need for action. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but can I get your commitment…that we’re not just going to study this? The people of Juneau are having flooding every summer,” Sullivan asked. Graham indicated that a technical study, due in spring 2026, will provide the framework for a long-term solution, saying, “Senator Sullivan, this is what we’re built for—being able to take a complex situation and work with our state and local partners to put a project in place rapidly.”
Telle reiterated this vow, stating, “I’ve committed to you, and General Graham has committed to me that we are going to be focused on a long-, medium-, and short-term solution to address this challenge.”
On August 16, 2025, Sullivan accompanied Brigadier General Joseph Goetz and local officials on a helicopter tour of the flood zone, underlining the critical need for action in the aftermath of the record-breaking flood that year. USACE’s short-term solution was to install HESCO barriers, which are collapsible wire mesh containers lined with geotextile fabric, filled with sand or soil to create temporary flood protection. While the USACE’s temporary HESCO barriers along the Mendenhall River managed to reduce extensive damage compared to 2024, several neighborhoods remain susceptible and unprotected.
The First Things First Alaska Foundation (FTFAK) has been at the forefront of community-led efforts to develop long-term solutions, advocating for a traditional earthen levee on Mendenhall Lake. This levee would have a passive outflow control mechanism to contain outburst floodwaters and prevent downstream surges. The proposed levee would allow the river to flow normally while restricting excess water, and it would be built to blend in with the surrounding natural terrain.
The organization has made information available on its FTFAK website, including evaluations of flood hazards dating back to 2011 and critiques of temporary remedies such as HESCO barriers. These resources illustrate the importance of dependable, long-term infrastructure in protecting public and private assets in the Mendenhall Valley.
Frank Bergstrom, president of the FTFAK Foundation, speaking on behalf of himself, commended the commitments while emphasizing the significance of execution. “This is good news. Heretofore, the USACE has pursued a projected ten-year planning process for a long-term solution to the Mendenhall outburst flood. Through the efforts of the Alaska Delegation, and Senator Sullivan in particular, new management at the USACE has now reexamined its planning timeline. While it appears planning may now be concluded by next spring, the outstanding question is when can we have that solution working in the field? Let us hope that happens in time to finally bring relief to Juneau residents.”
Floods have created unending hardships for residents of View Drive in Mendenhall Valley, including Don Habeger. Habeger and his wife, Carol, have suffered major damage to their home for three years in a row—2023, 2024, and 2025—decimating their property’s value and forcing them to face a difficult decision: continue fixing their home or abandon it. “You have to consider that because you cannot sell these houses,” Habeger explained.
In anticipation of the projected 2025 release, Habeger and his neighbors constructed a large earthen berm around their properties to protect their homes from potential flood damage. While the berm itself stood up to the flood, it ultimately failed to protect the properties because water flowed in from the ground underneath it. Habeger stated, “The pressure of the floodwaters drove up the water table in our yard, and we could not find enough pumps that night to dewater the space inside the berm.”
Habeger’s home was one of six properties to sustain major damage in the 2025 flood. Five of the majorly damaged properties were on View Drive, with one in the HESCO barrier zone. Overall, the most recent flood affected about 50 dwellings.
Residents on View Drive feel ignored since their homes remain exposed, despite HESCO barriers shielding core valley sections. Habeger, a strong advocate of a long-term solution, favors a proposed levee system at Mendenhall Lake to manage floodwaters. “We want a permanent solution, and we want it yesterday,” he said, capturing the community’s frustration.
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Brenda Josephson is a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska. You can contact her via email at [email protected].