Federal agency permitting wetlands fill, harbor dredging, and Section 404 Clean Water Act decisions for Alaska (Pebble Mine Section 404 permit lives here)
2204 3rd St, Anchorage, AK 99506, USA
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Juneau: July 9, 2026 CBJ Media Availability · Jul 9, 2026
Juneau: July 9, 2026 CBJ Media Availability · Jul 9, 2026
John Bohan
“The breach locations that were chosen are the potential high-impact areas. And so tree strikes and direct, you know, even though we fortified these areas, the direct impacts at the 90-degree corners just effectively to, you know, to prepare for the worst-case scenario. As Ryan said, these are sandbags, they are temporary measures.”Juneau: July 9, 2026 CBJ Media Availability · Jul 9, 2026
John Bohan
“as we saw last year, fortunately above the waterline, but a tree completely blew up the barriers behind the Field House very quickly, very easily. So we do need to be prepared for those events. So be careful. And that's also why we're requesting evacuation because they are temporary and we don't know what, you know, we don't know what force might crack one open.”Juneau: July 9, 2026 CBJ Media Availability · Jul 9, 2026
Juneau: July 9, 2026 CBJ Media Availability · Jul 9, 2026
Juneau: July 9, 2026 CBJ Media Availability · Jul 9, 2026
Court-ordered review models what a large Donlin Gold dam failure would do downstream
Donlin Gold draft supplemental review models tailings dam failures; worst cases could leave Crooked Creek uninhabitable; public comment through Oct. 23, hearings in October.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago4 min read
Judge upholds permit for Contango's Johnson Tract road after company finished building it
Judge Sharon Gleason upholds Army Corps permit for Contango's Johnson Tract exploration road and bridges in Lake Clark National Park after construction was complete.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2d ago2 min read
House passes water bill naming Alaska harbor, flood and water projects; Senate still has to act
Water Resources Development Act 2026: House passes WRDA with Alaska projects in Kodiak, Juneau and Sitka; Senate version adds Nome port and rural sanitation funding.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3d ago2 min read
Kenai's council will award a bluff erosion contract the day after bids close
The Kenai City Council meets Sept. 30 to award a contract for water service relocation, stormwater and erosion control at the Mission Avenue bluffs.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min read
Federal environmental review begins for the Arctic copper mine near Kobuk
The Army Corps of Engineers will prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed Arctic copper mine in Alaska's Ambler mining district, Trilogy Metals says.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Juneau's glacial flood bond vote would not reach voters until October 2027
Juneau's timeline puts a vote on borrowing for permanent Suicide Basin flood protection no earlier than October 2027, with a working group favoring borough-wide funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Bethel's dock wall is failing and the Port Commission hasn't taken it up
The Army Corps of Engineers warned Bethel that sheet piling at the City Dock is shifting, but the Port Commission has not discussed the report since April.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Ninth Circuit lets King Cove road work continue while appeal runs into November
Crews continue building the first 2.8 miles of the King Cove to Cold Bay road after the Ninth Circuit denied Defenders of Wildlife's motion to halt work.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Juneau's flood protection should be everyone's bill, three members say
A Juneau Assembly group recommends spreading the local cost of long-term glacial flood protection boroughwide rather than charging Mendenhall River property owners.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Juneau's flood fix could top $600 million, and the city has $11 million
Juneau's draft capital priority list puts glacial outburst flood work first, with a mid-term engineering fix that could cost more than $600 million.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min read
Suicide Basin levels drop, signaling a possible new release above Mendenhall
Water levels in Suicide Basin dropped sharply Tuesday, possibly signaling another glacial outburst release above Mendenhall Lake. No flooding is occurring.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Judge upholds federal permit for mining access inside Lake Clark National Park
Judge Sharon Gleason upheld the Army Corps permit for road, airstrip and tunnel work on a private inholding inside Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Graphite Creek permit decision pushed to September 2027
Federal regulators approved a 360-day extension of the Army Corps permitting timetable for the Graphite Creek mine near Nome after the Corps upgraded its NEPA review to a full Environmental Impact Statement.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3w ago2 min read
NWS forecasts up to 1.5 inches of rain in the Chena River basin
NWS Fairbanks issued a hydrologic outlook Thursday for up to 1.5 inches of rain in the Chena River basin, which will raise the Chena and Little Chena rivers. Flooding is not expected, but forecasters said that could change if the heaviest rain shifts east.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
A judge let Alaska start 2.8 miles of the King Cove road with the land swap vacated
A federal judge declined to halt initial construction on a 2.8-mile King Cove road segment while the larger Izembek land exchange remains vacated and the Corps wetlands permit is suspended.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago3 min read
Juneau's glacial flood was the mildest yet, but barrier costs are climbing
Twelve of 186 Mendenhall River homes assessed sustained damage in the Aug. 13 glacial outburst flood, which crested at 14.7 feet, well below forecast. The state activated public assistance but not individual assistance, and Juneau's manager says HESCO barrier upkeep will cost more than the $6 million to $10 million a year previously estimated.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4w ago2 min read
Hilcorp wants to fill 95 acres of Arctic wetlands for a gravel mine — comment by Sept. 4
Hilcorp Alaska is seeking state approval to fill about 95 acres of North Slope wetlands near Deadhorse for a gravel mine to supply oil development. Comment is open until Sept. 4.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
A placer mine near Ruby would work 35 acres of creek for a decade
Alaska opened comment on a water quality certification for a 10-year placer gold mine near Ruby that would work about 35 acres of Glenn Gulch and Flint Creek.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Hilcorp wants to dig a 95-acre gravel pit near the Putuligayuk River
Hilcorp Alaska is seeking state water-quality certification for a 95-acre gravel pit on the North Slope near the Putuligayuk River. Public comment closes Sept. 4.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
Judge vacates 490-acre Izembek land swap, reopening the fight over the King Cove road
A federal judge voided the Izembek land exchange for the King Cove road, reopening the fight. Crews stage construction as the court weighs a halt to the work by Aug. 31.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago4 min read
A Caterpillar dealer wants to fill nearly 20 acres of south Anchorage wetlands to build a new store
NC Machinery has applied to fill nearly 20 acres of south Anchorage wetlands for a Caterpillar dealership, proposing no new mitigation, with state public comment open through Sept. 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Judge asked to rule by Aug. 31 on whether King Cove road work can begin
Conservation groups want a ruling by Aug. 31 blocking ground work on the King Cove road, after two lawsuits over the federal wetlands permit were consolidated.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A company wants to rework historic Interior goldfields, mining two creeks for a decade
Tintina Gold Company has proposed a 10-year placer gold mining operation on Glenn Gulch and Flint Creek in Alaska's Ruby Mining District, disturbing about 35 acres of aquatic resources, now in early permitting.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
Ambler district copper mine nears its first public comment period
The Arctic copper project near Kobuk targets a September scoping period, its first public comment window, under the FAST-41 federal permitting process.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago3 min read
The fate of the EPA veto blocking Pebble Mine is now in a federal judge's hands
A federal judge is weighing whether the EPA's veto blocking the Pebble Mine survives, in a Bristol Bay salmon fight with Alaska Native parties on both sides.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
Feds move to fast-track a Juneau flood-control fix by cutting permitting and paperwork
The Army Corps, USDA and Interior say they will solicit proposals for glacial-flood infrastructure prototypes in Juneau under an approach that avoids burdensome paperwork. The release does not say which processes would be avoided or when the solicitation issues.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min read
Water begins flowing over Suicide Basin ice dam, NWS tells Juneau to finish flood prep
NWS Juneau said Tuesday that water has started spilling over the Suicide Basin ice dam and urged residents along Mendenhall Lake and the Mendenhall River to finalize flood preparations. Past releases have taken up to six days to begin after overtopping starts.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Erosion is forcing Alaska to move the Noatak airport two miles west
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities features the Noatak Airport relocation in its Summer 2026 Plane Talk newsletter, describing a runway being moved out of the path of an eroding riverbank. Bids on the $80M to $90M project are due Aug. 13.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
King Cove road materials arrive on scene as local workers hit another milestone in the development of a contested project
A barge of equipment and materials for the King Cove-Cold Bay Road project has arrived in King Cove while local residents complete safety and commercial driver training for project work.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
HESCO barrier repair was a week from done, Juneau committee told
At the July 8 Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting, Assembly Member Nano Brooks said HESCO barrier repair and expansion would be finished within a week while Juneau keeps working on a lasting glacial flood fix. The committee's Aug. 12 meeting was cancelled.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A new Nome dredge application enters the pipeline that just rejected a fiercely fought gold mine
Alaska DNR has received a Multi-Agency Application for Permits to Mine in Alaska for suction dredging near Nome. The notice is a receipt, not an approval, and no comment-period outcome appears in the available documents.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A Hilcorp gravel-mine permit reflects the North Slope's expanding oil footprint
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public notice describes Hilcorp Alaska's proposal for a new North Slope gravel mine called Put 29 and a 1,000-foot access road off the road to Drillsite 15. Written comments are due Aug. 18.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Ambler advances, but the U.S. stake in its developer hasn't closed
Ambler Road permits are back in force and the project is advancing, but the U.S. government's planned stake in developer Trilogy Metals still hasn't closed.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A Juneau builder with a long wetlands-filling history moves to settle federal charges
The United States and the State of Alaska have lodged a proposed consent decree resolving Clean Water Act claims against Duran Construction Company LLC and two individual defendants. The Justice Department listed the public comment period as "To Be Scheduled" as of July 30, 2026, and the decree takes effect only if a federal judge enters it.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
Juneau's flood barriers came from an Illinois stockpile
Juneau's Mendenhall River flood barriers came from an Army Corps stockpile in Illinois. Phase 1 cost locals millions; the feds fully funded the $35 million Phase 2.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Eight welders certify in Nome as a $400 million port job looms
Eight adult students from the Bering Strait Region finished a three-week Kawerak-sponsored welding certification course at the Nome-Beltz High School lab on Saturday, July 25, aimed at hiring tied to the Port of Nome expansion and other regional infrastructure work.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
Juneau's flood barriers are finished before Suicide Basin lets go
Juneau glacial outburst flood 2026: Army Corps completes Phase 2 Mendenhall River HESCO barriers before Suicide Basin release; evacuation guidance unchanged.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
More than 100 land deals stand between Alaska and a safer KGB Road
Alaska DOT&PF's July 2026 advertising schedule shows property acquisition, federal permitting, and funding authorization delays as dominant bottlenecks across South Coast, Northern, and Central region projects, with at least one bid now pushed to a 2028 construction year.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Five Nome-area tribes sue Army Corps over Safety Sound gold dredge permit
Five Alaska Native tribes filed suit in Alaska District Court challenging the Army Corps of Engineers' Clean Water Act permit for IPOP LLC's Bonanza Channel suction dredge project, which would disturb more than 150 acres of Safety Sound estuary critical to subsistence hunting and fishing. The Alaska DNR has separately rejected the company's state permits.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
Senate bill would fast-track Army Corps engineering for Juneau's glacial flooding
A Senate committee bill directs the Army Corps of Engineers to skip intermediate study steps and move directly to preconstruction planning for a permanent solution to Juneau's recurring glacial lake outburst flooding. The measure still needs full Senate passage and a presidential signature.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read