High water throughout the summer continues to erode the river bank.
Erosion of the shoreline on Well Island is threatening the water line that connects the village of Noatak to their water supply. The Tribal Health System is coordinating with the federal agencies and state and borough to support water supply needs and repairs.
Sand dunes disappear with more frequent and powerful storms in Western Alaska. These storms have impacted bird nesting grounds and tundra plants.
LEO Member Jeffrey Luther has been documenting erosion along the Noatak River for many years. His drone footage this spring captures new bank erosion features and icicle formations.
Workers are using sargassum and sand to rebuild the beach, with shore retention and reef protection in mind.
The Merbok storm of 2022 impacted the Old Russian Cemetery in Saint Michael. This cemetery was created in the 1830s when the northernmost outpost of the Russian American Company was established in that village. People were interred in that cemetery for about 100 years. The cemetery is on a 30 foot high bluff overlooking the bay.
River erosion is impacting the road and requiring the replacement of health infrastructure.
Heavy rains have elevated river levels throughout August and September. High water continues to erode the river bank in the community. The photos show a tree that was 22 feet from the edge is know 3 feet. Total erosion has reached 91 ft. by old landfill and new mark shows 112 ft. marker.
Water floods the Kotzebue lagoon. Grasses can be seen in July and a month later in August the water has risen 4-6 ft.
The river in Noatak is slowly cutting away parts of the road. This is an on going problem and the observation by Jeffrey Luther provides the latest in a series about erosion and related impacts.
This post is an update on the river erosion situation in Noatak, where a new channel is being cut by the Noatak River.
As the river changes and erosion happens along the banks, new channels are being formed around the community.
A site visit to Newtok on September 30, shows severe erosion from impacts of storm (typhoon Merbok). The images show both severe permafrost melt and river erosion.
The erosion of the Old Russian Cemetery from the impacts of the storm Merbokis also an unfinished process. The earth is actively moving, falling onto the beach bit by bit and sometimes in large chunks every day, to reach a state of stabilization after the storm.
The heavy rains and high water from storm Murdok today and Monday are contributing to the erosion of the old landfill and river bank.
The aftermath of Typhoon Merbok left fuel tanks floating and home flooded, but locals also saw an opportunity.
On September 17, 2023 Typhoon Merbok hit the coast of Tununak, Alaska. Here are some photos taken by Roseanne Panruk, after the storm caused by Typhoon Merbok
A extremely wet month, extreme rain, and heavy visitor traffic have resulted in washout on some areas of the Reed Lakes Trail.
There were alternatives for Trans Mountain Corporation to digging a trench in the river to lay pipe during the time the salmon were running.
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