Corps of Engineers to pay for second phase of HESCO barriers, speed up assessment of long-term solution
- Mark Sabbatini
- Oct 30, 2025
- 3 min read
Agreement signed at special Assembly meeting makes feds responsible for installation and materials, city for maintenance; $25M buyout for View Drive homes also discussed
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This is a developing story.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will install and pay for a second phase of HESCO barriers along the Mendenhall River under an agreement signed with the city during a special Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday evening.
Federal officials also said they plan to select a preferred long-term Mendenhall Valley flood mitigation alternative, possibly by December, with an environmental review completed by May. Separately discussed was a $25 million buyout program for View Drive residents that could occur before another flood arrives next August, although the city might have to pay 25% of that cost.
The barrier agreement, which updates a previous pact, means the city should be able to save most of an estimated $17.5 million in costs it expected to incur, based on the nearly $8 million project local cost for the first phase of barriers, City Manager Katie Koester said. Property owners protected by the first set of barriers are being charged up to 40% of the city’s costs under an ordinance passed by the Assembly.
The signing is "the first addendum to the cooperative agreement between the United States of America and City and Borough of Juneau for advanced measures assistance, which basically means the Army Corps is going to do phase two and pay for it," Mayor Beth Weldon said after the document was signed during a break in the meeting. "So we truly appreciate the assistance."
The first phase of barriers extends roughly two miles along one side of the Mendenhall River. The second phase extends the current levee in both directions and covers about three times as much total riverbank, including barriers placed on both sides in some locations.
The second phase of barriers are scheduled to be installed by July 15 of next year, following three straight years of record glacial lake outburst floods from Suicide Basin in early to mid August. USACE is also assisting with repairs and reinforcement work to the first phase of barriers in the wake of this year’s flood — the first with the barriers in place.
Five long-term flood solution options are set for review, with a preferred alternative possibly selected by December, with the hope of completing a draft environmental impact statement on that alternative by May of 2026, said John Rajek, chief of the USACE Geotechnical and Engineering Services Branch.
Rajek said the timeline for completion of the project — which officials have previously stated could take a decade — is unknown since the alternatives vary in their complexity. Another uncertainty is funding, according to Koester, since $4.75 million is available for the study, but funds for construction still need to be obtained.
The month-long federal government shutdown isn’t currently expected to affect the barrier installation or work on the longer-term solution, since funding for both has been secured, Rajek said.
The five potential long-term solutions outlined by USACE presenters were: 1) flood-control dam(s), 2) levees or floodwalls, 3) bypass channels, 4) a Suicide Basin lake tap and 5) infrastructure relocation.
Relocation in the near future was discussed for 20 land parcels with 18 homes on View Drive since its geological features make HESCO barriers ineffective, according to a trio of USACE officials discussing options with the Assembly.
The neighborhood has been determined eligible for an Emergency Watershed Protection Program buyout, said Brett Nelson, a state conservation engineer for the Natural Resources Conservation Service Alaska, during Thursday’s meeting. He said the federal government shutdown is affecting the program’s funding and operations.
The city would be responsible for 25% of the buyout cost — more than $6 million in a top-end scenario — although a waiver can be requested, which Assembly members unanimously agreed to do during the meeting.
Koester, in a memo presented to Assembly members before the meeting, noted "CBJ is only aware of 2 homes that have expressed a strong interest in the program. Other property owners are willing to explore it." She also noted the city has to formally apply for the buyout program.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
