Has been updated: 33 few minutes ago release date: 33 few minutes ago
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/P7AKJZMF75HKLDMJ4K5ZCCM3UI.jpg)
All five salmon species once called the Eklutna River, Eklutna Lake, and surrounding streams their home. Since 1955, Lake Eklutna Dam has diverted all water and prevented salmon from migrating into the lake and its upstream tributaries. Today, salmon are returning in only a fraction of what they once were.
An overwhelming number of Alaskans want that to change.
In February, Alaskans were asked to provide input on a draft fish and wildlife plan that is legally required for dam owners. The draft plan would leave one mile of the river dry, release small amounts of water into the remaining river, and continue to block the movement of fish into and out of the lake.
Most Alaskans who participated in the public comment period did not support the proposed draft plan. Instead, four out of five Alaskans said they want water and salmon returned to the entire length of the Eklutna River. The draft plan goes against the public’s demands and still costs ratepayers $57 million.
Unfortunately, dam owners are hearing a different story.
In a Feb. 28 presentation to the Chugach Power Association Board of Directors, the contractor hired by the dam owner to manage the public review process asserted that the draft plan has public support. But their analysis misrepresents the data. Most importantly, they ignored the opinions of 531 Alaskans. Because many Alaskans are busy with their lives, they use form letters to comment on complex issues that are important to them. Form letters are an important and valid measure of public opinion and are widely accepted in other comment periods sponsored by federal and state agencies. To discount the opinions of the 531 Alaskans who are invested in Eklutna and have a right to speak out for its future is to inaccurately portray the public’s opinion.
Sadly, this is not the first time that input from Alaskans has been suppressed by processes run by utility contractors. A “public meeting” held this winter did not include input from other experts or the communities most likely to be affected. Additionally, the utility did not allow community members time to comment or testify in front of an audience. Instead, there was a table off to the side where people could write and record their comments alone.
This process violates public comment period standards set by state and federal agencies. Many who attended were disappointed because they wanted to hear from community members. There is little way to gauge the momentum of public opinion at each meeting, and utilities are still trying to hide the real story of what the public wants from the river.
However, the numbers don’t lie. An audit of all public comments posted on the Eklutna Fish and Wildlife Program’s official website revealed that 874 individual Alaskans commented between December 2023 and February 2024. Of the 874 Alaskan commenters, 80% want water to flow from the lake to the entire Eklutna River. Notably, 54% of commenters called for the dam to be removed.
Dam owners are obligated to compensate for the damage caused to the river and its fish during the construction of the dam. Fish experts have proposed many good options for restoring the river and bringing back fish, but the draft plan is not among them. There is no doubt that the public wants to restore healthy rivers. But questions remain. Will Eklutna Dam owners listen to what Alaskans want for the future of the Eklutna River and revise their Fish and Wildlife Plan before submitting it to the governor later this spring? I’m sure of that.
nelly williams He is the Alaska state director for Trout Unlimited, a member of the Eklutna River Restoration Coalition, and participated in the two-year Eklutna study conducted by the dam operator.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a wide range of viewpoints.To submit your work for consideration, please send an email Commentary(at)adn.com. Submissions of less than 200 words should be sent to: Letters@adn.com or Click here to submit from any web browser.Read all guidelines for letters and comments here.
