Brush clearing overgrown Talkeetna revetment

MAT-SU— A revetment—overgrown with alders and brush along the edge of Talkeetna in the Talkeetna River—will be cleared by the Borough at the request of the Dept. of the Army next week so the rock structure can be maintained. The 32-year-old levee protects the town from flooding along the riverbank beginning south of Second Street and ending just North of B Street.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers put it in after a serious flood to protect the riverbank from eroding,” said Jim Jenson, Borough Civil Construction Project Manager.

In a letter, the U.S. Army Engineer District at Elmendorf, asked the Borough to comply with the Code of Federal Regulations for maintenance and operational requirements on the levee, also called the Talkeetna Erosion Control Project.  A hydraulic engineer for the Army recommended clearing the brush.

“The revetment is completely overgrown. Recommend brushing the revetment section for inspection and maintenance access of the structure. Brushing of the revetment should be scheduled during regular maintenance of the structure,” the letter states.

The revetment is 1,600 feet long by 25 feet wide. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the structure in 1979. The levee has likely not been cleared ever. A contractor is going to start clearing brush on Monday Aug. 22. The work is expected to be done Aug. 31 and will cost nearly $13,000. The Funding comes from the Talkeetna Flood Control Service Area. Residents in Talkeetna pay a mill levy of 1.42 on their taxes to cover maintenance expenses related to the revetment and a dike.  

The engineer describes the revetment as “400 to 600 feet from the current river bank. The revetment is completely overgrown and not visible from the river side. …The few stones that could be seen appeared to be in good condition. No obvious signs of rock degradation or obvious stone loss were observed.”

For more information call James Jenson, Project Manager in Public Works at 745-9817 or James Jenson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Patty Sullivan, Public Affairs Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photos by James Jenson/MSB