Corps of Engineers Outlines Glacier Flood Mitigation Efforts

Adam Telle, Army assistant secretary for civil works, visited Juneau, Alaska, March 24, to observe ongoing solutions the Army Corps of Engineers is using to address flooding ahead of the annual Mendenhall Glacier outburst flooding events.

Telle outlined the Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District's multipronged efforts to mitigate annual flooding.

"As we confront the threat of glacial outburst flooding in the Mendenhall Valley, I have remained committed to balancing short, medium and long-term risk reduction strategies, and that is why we are here demonstrating our shared sense of urgency," Telle said. "By pursuing multiple solutions simultaneously, we are compressing timelines and demonstrating our commitment to protecting the people of Alaska's capital city."

Other Corps of Engineers leaders at the visit included Army Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, civil and emergency operations deputy commanding general; Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, Pacific Ocean Division commanding general; and Army Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, Alaska District commander.

While in Juneau, Telle toured Suicide Basin, Alaska, by helicopter, visited the existing Phase 1 and planned Phase 2 gabion basket sites and met with local community leaders and media to discuss the flooding.

The Corps of Engineers is providing technical assistance for the repair and fortification of the Phase 1 gabion baskets. Additionally, it is helping to install temporary flood measures as part of the Phase 2 barrier alignment. Between 2025 and 2026, a total of 84,000 linear feet of temporary flood barriers, 400 super sacks and 112,000 sandbags have been provided to the community.

"We are bringing the best engineering solutions, and partnering with the city and borough of Juneau, to address this complex issue [and] to best prepare for the upcoming Mendenhall Glacier flood," Goetz said.

Telle also visited Alaska District projects in Anchorage, Nome and Seward, Alaska.

"My office recently launched the 'building infrastructure, not paperwork' initiative to build a faster, more responsive U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that anticipates these types of problems, like we see at Mendenhall," he said. "We are taking action to prevent future catastrophes."