Host Dano sits down with Don Habeger (Exec Dir, First Things First), Frank Bergstrom (President, FTF), and Meadow Lane residents Cindy & Mike Dow to unpack this year’s Suicide Basin jökulhlaup: what they lived, what the data shows, why HESCO barriers aren’t enough, and the community push for a permanent, engineered fix.
Key Takeaways
- Records keep falling. Reported Mendenhall Lake crests:
- 2023: 14.9 ft (~25,200 cfs, per episode)
- 2024: 15.99 ft (~4,700 cfs, per episode)
- 2025: 16.67 ft (~50,000 cfs, est. per episode)
(Guests’ figures as stated on-air; trend = bigger, faster outbursts.)
- What residents saw this year
- New percolation in Meadow Lane/Alder Circle; water pulsing up/receding through gravel.
- Log “harpoons.” Full-length trees with root balls riding the current, spearing riprap/fences; would punch through a house.
- Limits of HESCOs
- They raise river head, which also drives seepage through sandy/gravel soils.
- Vulnerable to log impacts and bank erosion; require constant, costly maintenance (~$1M in repairs this year, per city meeting cited).
- Short-term mitigation, not a long-term solution.
- Infrastructure hit
- 3 of 4 river crossings were closed at one point (Back Loop, Pedestrian, Montana Creek bridges noted); fiber cut impacted regional comms; Back Loop has since reopened.
- Human toll
- Residents describe post-traumatic stress, feeling unsafe, and some preparing to leave Juneau.
- What First Things First is advocating
- Engineered levee/dam at the Mendenhall Lake outlet to attenuate peak flows—store more during the outburst, then release in a controlled way.
- Expedite geotech now; goal is a 12-month timeline, not “study forever.”
- Federal leadership is engaged (delegation + USACE site visits); Governor pre-declared the 2025 flood a disaster, enabling rapid DOT bridge work.
- Guests still don’t feel urgency from CBJ; want proactive planning and communication.
Notable Quotes
- “This is the most predictable flood perhaps on earth.”
- “HESCOs are a short-term fix…they increase head in the river and drive seepage into yards.”
- “We need a long-term solution now, not in the ‘long term.’”
- “I’d stay if I knew a levee was coming.”
How to Help / Get Involved
- Volunteer/Donate: United Way of SE AK — unitedwayseak.org
- First Things First (per episode):
Website: ftfakfoundation.org
Email: firsttfinc@gmail.com - Civic action: Submit public comment to CBJ, ask to accelerate USACE work; advocate for a permanent attenuation structure at Mendenhall Lake.
- Household prep: Review flood insurance, keep sandbag plans, and watch official alerts.
