Assembly transfers nine riverfront parcels to state for erosion control

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly voted Tuesday to transfer nine borough-owned parcels along the Matanuska River to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The state will use the land to build erosion protection before the river reaches the highway.

The parcels sit between Maud Road and the Oakland Highway Bridge near Palmer. The borough bought the properties through federal hazard mitigation buyout programs after homes faced river erosion.

Borough Manager Mike Brown said the borough had no legal authority to build erosion control structures on borough land outside the state highway right-of-way. During one flooding event, Matanuska Electric Association had to stage teams and pay to secure two transmission poles serving the Butte and Knik River communities until the water subsided. The borough could not act.

Assembly Member Bill Gamble, a Republican representing District 4, said he has watched the riverbank erode rapidly. "This should have been done a long time ago, and it is absolutely a no-brainer," Gamble said.

The assembly approved Ordinance 26-050 with no objection. The borough will transfer the properties to the state for no value because they serve a public benefit.

Once the transfer is complete, the state can plan and construct erosion protection and respond more quickly to future erosion.