Rivers, dry forests making people nervous

PALMER — High temperatures have Mat-Su Borough officials keeping a nervous eye on rivers and firefighters eyeing the woods.

First, the rivers. Mat-Su Borough Deputy Director of Emergency Services Clint Vardeman said snowmelt seems to be the likeliest culprit of swelling waterways.

“These high temperatures are bringing it off of the mountain and the rivers are running high and fast,” he said. “In fact, there’s a lot of trees and debris going through them.”

Mat-Su Borough Spokeswoman Patty Sullivan warned in a press release that the debris moving down rivers can be hazardous to boaters. She also singled out four rivers as particularly problematic.

• The Yentna River: “Lake Creek on the Yentna River has been steadily rising and is 0.6 feet below the 20.5-foot floodstage. It is forecast to rise above flood stage late tonight or early tomorrow before cresting near 20.7 feet Thursday afternoon,” Sullivan wrote based on information she received from borough emergency services director Dennis Brodigan.

• The Talkeetna River: There was high water measured earlier in the week where the river passes under the Alaska Railroad. But as of Thursday afternoon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did not list it as a river of concern.

“There’s no flooding, it’s just high,” Vardeman said.

• The Matanuska River: The river is high, but lower than last week, Sullivan wrote. It should keep dropping. Vardeman said it’s been of particular concern along Maud Road in Butte.

“It is not flooding as in covering Maud Road, but we are watching it very carefully,” he said of the road that runs perpendicular to the Matanuska River. “Last year they put down gravel and rock on the right side and that water is undercutting what they put down.”

• The Little Susitna River: Sullivan said that, like the Matanuska, the Little Su is high, but dropping. Vardeman said it’s caused problems for Moose Meadows Drive in Meadow Lakes.

“It’s another one that typically we have problem with and the water is rising out there,” he said. “It’s not creating a problem, but again we’re watching it pretty closely.”

A flood advisory issued by the National Weather Service is in place through Friday morning for the Yentna and Lake Creeks area.

As for the fires, as of 3 p.m., Thursday a burn ban in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough was still in effect as it had been for most of the week.

Fire danger was listed as “extreme” and open burning as well as burn barrels had been suspended.

“Campfires, warming or cooking fires are allowed, but not encouraged,” according to forestry’s website. “Ensure you are following the Safe Burning Guidelines and be extremely vigilant.”

Anyone wishing to burn debris needs to visit forestry.alaska.gov/burn for a permit and to check if conditions are safe.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.