Severe Bank Erosion from Permafrost Thaw

Observation by Tanya Ballot:

Here are some current pictures of the severely eroded area in Selawik. They show the general area, the height, the land and river view. The area is a high traffic winter trail. This is a new site this Spring. The last picture shows the site right next to the Baptist church. The pastor there has tried to fill the spot with sand bags to help it from going any deeper, because it is a big hole. The structure is someone's old boat and it is falling into the hole. The hole is deep. I am 5'7" and so you can get an idea as to the depth of it. The pipes were put into the city to try to provide a marker and keep people from going and hanging in there or falling in. It smells worse then cow manure. There is an area closer to the church that opened up last year, and the pastor filled it up with tundra and sand bags. The problem is that this is a highly used trail route past the Baptist church and going to church, airport, store. So people are wondering how to make it safe for travel this winter.

Comments from LEO editors:

Selawik is an Iñupiat Eskimo community located about four miles north of the Arctic Circle and 70 miles east of Kotzebue. The Selawik area is known in Iñupiaq as “Akuligaq,” which means “where the river meets together,” and “Siktagvik,” or “a place for shooting.” Because of a rich year-round fishery, the area has been used as a winter camp for thousands of years. The Selawik Inupiat are river people, who live in the broad Selawik River delta because of its abundant food resources including whitefish, sheefish, caribou, moose, duck, ptarmigan, and various berries, bushes and other plants. Here, people are experiencing climate change effects to their homes, travel, food, water, public safety, and other aspects of their lives. Residents report increasingly variable seasonal weather, more frequent storms, and extreme temperature swings especially in winter. Thawing permafrost related impacts to community infrastructure is apparent throughout Selawik. Seasonal warming is increasing the thaw zone, resulting in subsidence. This sinking of the ground is damaging homes, utilities, infrastructure, board roads, and bridges. The impact is magnified because of different rates and amounts of land movement occurring between connected infrastructure, such as homes and water lines. The riverbanks are eroding causing loss of property and threatening homes. As of 2012, an estimated 36 homes were vulnerable to bank erosion, with some areas losing several feet of riverbank each year. In May of 2012, ANTHC working with the Maniilaq Association and the Native Village of Selawik published an assessment report. To learn more see, Climate Change in Selawik Alaska, Strategies for Community Health. Mike Brubaker