Eklutna Hydroelectric Project Draft Plan Lacks Improvements For Fish Species, Says Local Tribal, Conservation Groups (Update)

As Native organizations and conservation groups have fought hard to remove Eklutna River dams and restore salmon runs on the 12-mile-long river northeast of Anchorage, the organizers of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project released a draft plan last week. The draft’s summary includes the following information about the project’s impact on fish:

The Project Owners subsequently developed this Draft Fish and Wildlife Program (Draft Program) based on the study results and alternatives analysis. In the Draft Program, the Project Owners propose to utilize the existing Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) water supply infrastructure to provide a year-round base flow regime to 11 out of 12 miles of the Eklutna River. This will significantly benefit all four species of salmon that are currently observed in the lower river while implementing measures to protect the public water supply and minimizing impacts to ratepayers, taxpayers, carbon emissions, and recreation. The Draft Program also proposes periodic peak flows to maintain downstream fish habitat, construction of eight new bridges for the AWWU water supply access road, a funding commitment for monitoring studies, and an adaptive management framework. Due to the significant costs, impacts, and uncertainty regarding the viability of introducing anadromous species above the Project dam, no fish passage related facilities or changes in operations are proposed at this time.

As you’d expect, the lack off fish passages within the project was not meant well. Here’s some reaction from a coalition that includes Trout Unlimited, Native Village of Eklutna, the Alaska Center, and the Conservation Fund:

Proposed hydroelectric project mitigation plan fails to address harm to the Eklutna River 

 Native Village of Eklutna and supporters propose an alternative solution prioritizing salmon

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The three owners of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project — Chugach Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association, and the Municipality of Anchorage — released a draft plan on October 27 for mitigating the project’s impacts on fish and wildlife in the Eklutna Valley. The Draft Fish and Wildlife Program proposes to route Eklutna Lake water through an existing Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) pipeline and release it one mile downstream of Eklutna Lake.

The proposal would return less than 3% of historic flows to the river, resulting in over one mile of dry riverbed downstream of the lake, blocking salmon from accessing their spawning grounds in Eklutna Lake and its tributaries. The anticipated costs to implement the proposed draft Program are over $57 million, paid for by utility rate increases and Anchorage municipality tax increases.

The Native Village of Eklutna and allied organizations involved in the multi-year effort to restore the Eklutna River are advocating for removing the dam at the outlet of Eklutna Lake once renewable energy alternatives are in place, allowing the river to flow naturally. This plan allows the power companies time to transition away from Eklutna hydroelectric power, saves ratepayers and taxpayers money on new infrastructure, and provides an effective and permanent solution that restores the Eklutna watershed.

 Aaron Leggett, President, Native Village of Eklutna:
“Eklutna people have endured a dry river for the past 90 years. The AWWU Portal Option does not connect Eklutna Lake to the Eklutna River and does not address the impacts on sockeye salmon that we believe is an important part of the mitigation process. Rather than a short-term fix that only deals with a small part of the problem, we want the river restored to something closer to its natural condition throughout the entire length.”

Austin Williams, Director of Federal Relations, Trout Unlimited Alaska:

“Chugach Electric, MEA and the Muni are trying to pull a fast one on Alaskans by claiming they can regain 99% of salmon spawning habitat by releasing just 3% of historic summer flow, which is absurd.  What’s worse, by leaving a mile of river dry and failing to allow salmon into Eklutna Lake, they aren’t even trying to restore the river’s sockeye salmon run.  Any Alaskan that’s fished for sockeye knows they need access to a lake, yet somehow these utilities conducted 2 years of studies and ignored that basic fact.”

Brad Meiklejohn, Senior Representative, The Conservation Fund:

“The Draft Fish and Wildlife Program is unacceptable.  We need a real river not an expensive Mickey Mouse substitute.  The AWWU Portal Option would be expensive, ineffective for fish and could jeopardize the drinking water system for the entire Municipality of Anchorage. The Conservation Fund and Eklutna Inc. removed the Lower Eklutna River Dam in 2018, saving the power companies and ratepayers $8 million. Since the power companies won’t do it themselves, we are prepared to pay the cost of removing the remaining Eklutna Lake dam to allow the river to flow free again after a century of hydropower abuse.”

 Chantal de Alcuaz, Co-Executive Director, The Alaska Center

“The mitigation plan proposed by the utilities would devastatingly commit the Eklutna River to a fractured future.  The proposal will not recover the lost sockeye salmon that used to thrive in the river. The owners need to revisit this or risk spending millions of ratepayer dollars on activities that do little to fix the river, do not benefit salmon, and do not address the injustices borne by the Native Village of Eklutna. Renewable energy should not compromise wild salmon. We encourage the utilities to take another look and support an option that actually addresses their impacts.”

BACKGROUND:

For the past century, wild salmon have been blocked from accessing significant amounts of their spawning grounds by hydroelectric development on the Eklutna River. The first dam was built in 1929 on the Lower Eklutna River, followed by the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project, which dried up the river in 1955. Wild salmon and the people of the Native Village of Eklutna suffered from these developments. Under the terms of their 1997 purchase agreement with the federal government, the owners of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project (Chugach Electric, Matanuska Electric, and the Municipality of Anchorage) are legally required to mitigate their impacts on fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

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This press release is issued on behalf of the Eklutna River Restoration Coalition, which includes the following groups & entities:

Native Village of Eklutna

The Village of Eklutna is located near the Eklutna River in Southcentral Alaska, serving less than 400 Tribal Members located throughout their traditional territory as they have for centuries, with the majority living in Anchorage. This federally recognized Dena’ina tribe is the only traditional Native village in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska. The mission of NVE is to empower Eklutna Village Dena’ina by promoting the history, culture, and identity of their sovereign nation and to assist in the education and well-being of their Tribe. For more information: Eklutna-nsn.gov

The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund is a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense. Founded in 1985, The Conservation Fund has maintained an office in Alaska since 1994 and has worked across the entire state from Ketchikan to Barrow. For more information: conservationfund.org

Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited, the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization, is dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional, and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters, and vibrant communities. In Alaska, we work with sportsmen and women to ensure the state’s trout and salmon resources remain healthy far into the future through our local chapters and statewide program. Learn more at tu.org

The Alaska Center

The Alaska Center is a non-partisan organization that works to educate, engage, and empower Alaskan voters. At The Alaska Center, it is our belief that the more Alaskans get involved in the decisions affecting our home, the better the future will be for everyone. Learn more at akcenter.org

For more information: eklutnariver.org

UPDATE: Here is more reaction from Eklutna, Inc.:

Eklutna, Inc. Advocates for a Collaborative Approach to Restore the Eklutna River as a Strategic Investment in Anchorage’s Future

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Eklutna, Inc. acknowledges the draft mitigation plan released October 27 by the operators of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project. While we share the goal of environmental restoration, we believe that the current proposal could benefit from further refinement to deliver a win-win situation for both the environment and the community.

Over the years, Anchorage has experienced an outflow of residents seeking opportunities elsewhere. We must make Anchorage a city of choice with a high quality of life that will draw people in, rather than away. A thriving Eklutna River, complete with restored water flow to Eklutna Lake, will serve as a cornerstone in achieving this vision.

“Eklutna, Inc. has had a long working relationship with the project owners. We hope this persists as we continue to tackle the challenges in our community. An Eklutna River flowing from the Eklutna Lake to the Inlet brings ecological and economic benefits to our people and the Anchorage community at large. I encourage the community and project owners to support a proposal that fully addresses the Eklutna River’s potential and contributes to making Anchorage a city people actively seek to call home,” states Michael Curry, Eklutna, Inc board Chair and President.

Ekltuna, Inc. has long been deeply invested in the prosperity of Anchorage and Alaska as a whole. As one of the state’s largest land developers, we recognize the critical intersection between environmental stewardship and economic development. The restoration of the Eklutna River is more than a conservation effort; it is a strategic investment that will protect salmon habitat, boost tourism, elevate recreational activities, and increase property values.

We invite not only the Project Owners and the Municipality but also the entire community to collaborate in enhancing the current mitigation plan. By doing so, we will shape Anchorage into a city that offers a high quality of life, with the Eklutna River serving as a natural, cultural, and economic gem of the city.