CBJ cancels special Assembly work session to address glacial flooding for ‘topical and timing reasons’

Issues related to short- and long-term mitigation measures will be discussed at future meeting after this year’s flood occurs, city manager says

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers workers fill and stack sandbags using an automatic sandbag filling machine at Dimond Park on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (Ellie Ruel / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

A special Juneau Assembly work session focusing on a glacial lake outburst flood expected during the coming weeks, plus proposed mitigation measures for floods in future years, has been cancelled, according to a City and Borough of Juneau announcement published Friday.

The Assembly’s Committee of the Whole was scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. at the Andrew Hope Building, which has a much larger audience space than City Hall. The city, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska were scheduled to provide updates to the Assembly.

City Manager Katie Koester, in an interview Friday, said the meeting was put on the calendar a month ago, but essential information the Assembly and public need ahead of this year’s flood is already being presented in a number of other ways, including an hour-long media briefing earlier this month and ongoing sandbag distributions.

"We need to talk about how to fund flood response in the future," she said. "We don't need to talk about that right now. We need to focus on getting through this year. And the other thing that happens every year is the (flood) event itself changes and it changes how we respond. It changes the tools that we have available."

Record flooding of the Mendenhall River from Suicide Basin has occurred during the first half of August each of the past three years and a flood similar to last year’s is forecast within the next month.

The city’s announcement states the issues that were going to be presented Monday will be addressed during a future Committee of the Whole meeting after this year’s flood occurs.

The announcement also notes sandbag distribution is still scheduled this Saturday and on subsequent Saturdays until the flood occurs. Other flood-related information, including updated evacuation maps, is at bit.ly/juneaufloodready.

The American Red Cross is also hosting a free emergency preparedness workshop and resource fair from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Mendenhall Valley Library. A presentation at the beginning will be followed by a planning workshop and resource fair from 1 to 3 p.m.

In addition to the immediate threat, efforts toward implementing medium-range and long-term flood protection were expected to be a major part of Monday’s meeting. The USACE is working with city and other officials on possible long-term solutions, as well as equipment and guidance for HESCO barriers that have been installed as an interim solution during the next five to 10 years. Tlingit and Haida is coordinating with the city on preparedness and public safety efforts for current and future floods.

Koester said there have been some developments in recent weeks involving longer-term solutions — but none so vital the Assembly and residents need to hear them before this year’s flood occurs.

The Army Corps of Engineers, for instance, is stating they will survey and develop a repair plan for HESCO barriers damaged by the upcoming flood, saving the city considerable money and effort. Also, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan announced this week that provisions intended to speed up a long-term solution planning are included in a bill that passed out of committee.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.