In this episode of First Things First, we explore alternative options to the proposed Hesco barrier solution intended to mitigate flooding from Mendenhall Glacier. Juneau is perched on the edge of the Juneau Icefield, the third-largest icefield in the United States, covering 1,500 square miles and 40 large valley glaciers and 100 smaller glaciers. The most recent maximum extent of ice occurred during the Little Ice Age in the 1700s. Since that time, many of the glaciers have been in retreat.

This increasingly predictable annual event is now growing in magnitude. Interestingly, the physical damage pales in comparison to the damage on paper. Entire neighborhoods and hundreds of homes have lost their entire value due to being rendered unsalable by the stigma of the annual floods; hundreds of $ million in equity is now suspended until a solution is provided. The danger area includes many lower-income households in apartment complexes and mobile home parks.   

FTFAF has consulted with various experts and determined the solution with the most significant potential for success is to build a levee system around Mendenhall Lake with an outflow control gate. This plan entails increasing the holding volume of the lake to function as a surge basin for the annual glacial water release. The outflow gate would control the river flow rate, avoiding downstream damage. The levee system could be expanded to undeveloped territory beyond the lake perimeter if necessary.