River at the door

SUTTON — Both in their 90s, Ed and Val Musial have occupied their Sutton home on the Matanuska River since 1952. Over the decades, they’ve watched the homesteaded land behind their single-story, cement-blocked home slowly go under the slate-gray waters of the meandering glacial stream. As of Thursday evening, the river was literally lapping at their back door.

Val Musial contacted the Frontiersman Monday afternoon, stating the river was on its relentless warpath again and was close to the walkway leading around the back edge of the house. By Thursday afternoon, the bank had literally undercut a corner of that walkway.

Still, the couple says they’re not leaving.

Val Musial said on Monday that the river levels were rising. On Thursday she said they weren’t rising, but weren’t falling, either. Monday evening, around 8:45 p.m., the Johnson homestead cabin lost its battle and was swallowed up by the river. The log cabin, built in the 1940s, creaked and groaned until the swift current claimed it. It has been unoccupied for approximately two years.

“Paul and Evelyn’s (Johnson) cabin fell in Monday. We’re the only ones left on this stretch of the river,” Val said. “We can’t do anything. It’s right at our sidewalk. We were supposed to have the governor fly over in a helicopter yesterday. He didn’t land. He’s been here before and he can’t do anything. (The state has) erosion control money but for some damned reason they won’t spend it.”

Erosion control on the Matanuska has been an ongoing battle for years. Last year, Gov. Bill Walker signed an emergency declaration which freed up funds to shore up the river’s bank near Mile 14 of the Old Glenn Highway in Butte. In late August, the river threatened to swallow up that stretch of highway.

Mat-Su Borough Director of Emergency Services Otto Feather said there is not much the borough can do to help change the river’s path.

“We are more concerned with the safety of our neighbors,” Feather said. He said the borough has no power when it comes to erosion control. Feather said that decision must come from state and federal officials. “We’ve aggressively pressured state and federal officials for assistance. It’s not there. The whole area is at risk.”

Feather said the borough has manpower ready to deploy to the Sutton area if any type of rescue is needed. He said members of the Wasilla Dive Team are also on high alert. Feather said he was unaware of any other structures along the river that were currently under any threat.

According to National Weather Service (NWS) hydrologic data, Matanuska River levels at Glacier Park Resort near Mile 120 of the Glenn Highway more than doubled between Saturday afternoon and the following day. Levels have been slowly falling since. No prediction data is available at that location. River levels at the Old Glenn Highway increased by almost two feet over the weekend, from around eight to just under 10 feet, according to NWS data. It is predicted to continue climbing to around 10 feet by Sunday evening which is below flood stage of 11 feet.

One thing that everyone involved agrees on is that Mother Nature will do what she wants.

Contact reporter Chris Ford at 352-2270 or chris.ford@frontiersman.com