Susitna River boat launch bad public policy

December 6, 2005

Spectrum\Steve Charles

Just as New Orleans is trying to decide whether it's prudent to rebuild in an area below sea level, Alaskans should be asking themselves if it's prudent to build a $250,000 boat launch that is both dangerous and disappearing.

For more than 15 years, the Alaska Boating Association has been lobbying for a boat launch on the Susitna River, just downstream from Willow Creek, in the Willow Creek State Recreation Area.

Promoting boating access is something that the ABA should be doing, but, as with New Orleans, the problem is with the location.

During the last eight years, two major studies were done by HDR Alaska Inc. and sponsored by Fish and Game. They were to find a suitable location for a proposed boat launch in the lower Susitna River and, in particular, around Willow Creek. Both studies concluded that the Willow Creek site was unsuitable &#8220because of potential erosion, the ongoing maintenance requirements of sediment and snag removal and the immediate downstream boating

hazards.” (p.8 of the 2000 study)

Many others, such as the state Department of Natural Resources, State Parks, Fish and Game, Division of Risk Management, and the Mat-Su State Parks Advisory Board came to a similar conclusion. More recently, the state engineer who was to design the facility will not sign off for concerns of liability.

Former DNR Commissioner Irwin made this conclusion in a March 1 letter to Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Mat-Su: &#8220We simply cannot proceed with a project that exposes the public to these risks.”

But proceeding, it is. Seeing their main channel blocked, the ABA chose to follow the political channel. Without consultation with State Parks, former Rep. Beverly Masek, R-Willow, secured $125,000 from the Legislature for the launch in 2004. Peanuts to what was needed for even a &#8220primitive” ramp, turnaround and parking area.

Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-Mat-Su, added another $125,000 last year, despite the advice of state agencies. Preliminary work was done this past August with a crude ramp and turnaround built at the site.

Of course, safety should be the first consideration when building a public facility such as this. What the engineers and the others saw is a project that would have boaters putting in their boat perpendicular and directly into a 5 mph current with no slack water or beach to park the boat.

In addition, just a few yards downstream is a natural collection area for drift logs and snags. Just a few engine

sputters could easily find a boat hard upon the logs.

Have you every seen $250,000 drifting downstream? This past summer, erosion took 20 feet of bank at the launch site, surpassing the engineers' prediction of a 6- to 10-foot annual bank loss.

Since August, the crude launch was replaced by a 10-foot-high cut bank. Undaunted, Sen. Huggins and the ABA met with State Parks and decided to rebuild the ramp just as if they were making sand castles on a beach, only to see it wash away with the next tide.

It is foolish public policy to ignore the advice of our state's experts in favor of one special interest group. While I can understand ABA's efforts in finding a boat launch site, the state has an obligation to the public for the wise use of public money and to provide safe public facilities for all, whether they be experienced boaters or a young family trying out a new boat.

New Orleans should find a way to rebuild in a safe and prudent way. The state should do the same for a Willow Creek boat launch.

Steve Charles is a resident of Willow.