Today Governor Mike Dunleavy established the Final Eklutna Fish and Wildlife Program which will restore year-round water flows to 11 of the 12 miles of the Eklutna River and creates a framework for adaptive management.
The Governor is required by a 1991 agreement to establish a final Fish and Wildlife Program for the protection, mitigation of damages to, and enhancement of fish and wildlife affected by the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project. The Agreement mandates that the Governor give equal consideration to eight factors and seek to reconcile differences between the various parties subject to the Agreement.
The Final Program includes, among other things:
- Construction of a new valve and release structure located adjacent to the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility portal valve to restore year-round flow to the Eklutna River one mile downstream from the Eklutna Dam
- Automation of the existing outlet gate at the base of the spillway at Eklutna Dam for remote operation
- Development of a channel maintenance flow regime to support fish habitat over the long term
- Construction of eight new bridges for AWWU to access water pipeline infrastructure currently accessible by fording the River
- One-time payment of $234,000 for lakeside trail repairs
- Creation of a Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan that includes the establishment of an Monitoring and Adaptive Management Committee
- Three limited reopeners for the study and potential construction of a fixed wheel gate to replace the existing overflow spillway, provisions to review fish passage alternatives, and the study of Pumped Storage Hydro that may restore fish passage
- Immediate implementation of the Final Program
- Reserving any remaining funds from the study of the fixed wheel gate for other protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures for fish and wildlife
- Addition of one more member, appointed by the Governor, to the Monitoring and Adaptive Management Committee
The Final Approved Program accepted a request by the Municipality of Anchorage and Native Village of Eklutna to include the study of the Pumped Storage Hydro alternative.
The Final Program also accepted a request by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to specify that any remaining funds from the $10 million designated for a Fixed Wheel Gate at the Eklutna Dam be made available for additional studies or measures that protect, mitigate damage to, or enhance fish and wildlife habitat if the Fixed Wheel Gate is determined to not be structurally or economically feasible.
“The Final Fish and Wildlife Program established today under the Agreement balances the eight factors I am required to consider, and the Program is designed to be an iterative one that will be able to adapt to changing conditions and technologies well before the process is required to repeat itself,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “I want to thank the Parties, the Native Village of Eklutna, and the members of the public who helped shape this Final Program with their time, resources, input, and participation over the past five years. This is not the end of the process, and I am committed to seeing this Final Program successfully enacted.”
