Kuskokwim River

by The Associated Press Sunday, July 25, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska State Troopers say a search has been launched for a man who went missing after his boat sank in the Kuskokwim River. Troopers say were notified about the missing man Friday evening. The man, whose name has not been released, was traveling with 24-year-old Kalvin Kerr from Aniak to Kalskag when the small boat took on water and sank. Troopers say Kerr, a Kalskag resident, made it to shore uninjured.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Kuskokwim River until 10 p.m. Wednesday. The Kuskokwim breached its banks in the village of Kwethluk in the past few days. On Sunday, sick and elderly residents were evacuated to Bethel after the flood warning was issued. The flood incident commander says river conditions have worsened since then flooding low lying areas and other parts of the community with about 6 inches of water. The village public safety officer says Sunday's evacuations were necessary.

The flood warning for the Kuskokwim River near Aniak is scheduled to expire at 10:45 p.m. Monday. An ice jam has formed about 10 miles downstream of Aniak. Flooding has been reported and the river is expected to continue to rise. While the calendar shows we're well into Spring, it's still feeling like winter across parts of the state. Northern Alaska remains to see temperatures dropping below zero overnight. Wainwright got down to -7 last night and many areas of Alaska are seeing below average temperatures for their highs on Monday.

An ice jam on the Kuskokwim river that caused flooding in Crooked Creek, released Thursday and flood waters dropped significantly, according to a flood statement from the National Weather Service. The latest state situation report says if weather conditions remain as they've been the past few days, the rest of the ice break up on the Kuskokwim River should be uneventful. A disaster response team arrived in Crooked Creek Thursday afternoon, where 53 residents have been evacuated to the nearby Donlin Creek Mine.

Nearly three years after a small majority of Bethel voters approved unlimited alcohol sales, a Channel 2 News investigation reveals that crime rates in the region have increased, especially in some of the 56 smaller villages nearby. In October 2009 Bethel voters decided, 615 to 523, to change Bethel from a "damp" community to a "wet" one, removing the previous alcohol import limit of 10.5 ounces per person per month. Perhaps because of the fact there are still no liquor stores or bars located in the Kuskokwim River's main port city, population 6,080, there is a popular opinion among many Bethel residents that not much has changed.

River watch teams based in Aniak are currently flying up to Crooked Creek after recent reports that the ice jam on the Kuskokwim River may be breaking up. The Alaska Department of Homeland Securityand Emergency Management says that ice moving slowly is a good indicator of the jam releasing. This comes after flooding forced dozens of Crooked Creek residents to evacuate. Officials say once that ice jam releases, it can be determined if communities down the river like Aniak, would be impactedby flooding.

The U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers hosted a meeting at the Loussac Library Tuesday to discuss the future of Donlin gold mine in Southwest Alaska. The project is 16 years in the making and the company is now beginning the permitting process. A protester positioned outside the Loussac expressed concerns for the mine's effect on the Kuskokwim river and other possible long-term environmental impacts of the project. Kurt Parkan, External Affairs Manager for Donlin Gold assured the public that Donlin wants, "to make sure that this project can be done environmentally responsibly with minimal impact before it's permitted.

A flood watch, as of Saturday, remains in effect for the village of Aniak. Residents said they are anxious as they wait to see what will happen with an ice jam just 3 miles upstream from the village on the Kuskokwim River. “We're worried because it's almost at flood level at some places already, so a little bit more action flush of water we're afraid it's going to be extremely high,” said Aniak resident Paul Longpre.  “That's what everybody in the community is worried about.” Many Aniak residents, like Amore’t Allen, said they regularly walk to the dike to monitor any movement on the Kuskokwim River.

A missing Kwethluk man's body was found in the Eenayarak River on Sunday afternoon, after he was reported overdue Friday from berry picking with his wife. Alaska State Troopers in Bethel were informed at about noon Friday that Yako Fisher, 34, had last been seen headed downstream in a blue 16-foot Lund boat with a 60-horsepower Yamaha motor on the Eenayarak, at a point about 25 miles upstream from the Kuskokwim River and north of Eek. Searchers found Fisher's boat about 12 or 13 miles downstream on Friday night, but continuing efforts to locate Fisher were hampered by heavy rain and high winds into Sunday.

The flood warning on the Kuskokwim River near Aniak has been extended until 10 p.m. Tuesday. An ice jam has formed about 10 miles down river near Crow Village. Water levels will continue to rise until the ice jam releases. As for the rest of the state, conditions remain fairly consistent on May 8. A weakening area of low pressure in the Gulf of Alaska continues to create rain showers in Southeast. Convection from two different lows wills keep the showers going through this evening but they are expected to end by Wednesday.

For Louie and Helena Andrew, subsistence fishing on the Kuskokwim River has been a way of life for more than 50 years. The married couple live in Bethel, a regional hub for Southwest Alaska. The Andrews say fishing and hunting are an important part of their Yup'ik culture. “The people themselves, even my wife and I, have connections to everything that's in the waters, on the land, and in the air,” said Louie Andrew, a traditional chief with the Orutsararmiut Native Council.

The village of Kwethluk is dealing with petroleum leaks from a nearby sunken barge trapped under frozen ice, which local officials say have tainted a watering hole and forced them to bring in months of drinking water. Mayor Boris Epchook says local government has spent more than $1,900 since December on about 7,600 gallons of potable water, at a rate of 25 cents per gallon, after the barge Delta Chief went down on the Kwethluk River near its confluence with the Kuskokwim River. That number doesn't include the costs of chemicals and energy used to process the water, or water-testing expenses incurred since the October sinking.

The U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers hosted a meeting at the Loussac Library Tuesday to discuss the future of Donlin gold mine in Southwest Alaska. The project is 16 years in the making and the company is now beginning the permitting process. A protester positioned outside the Loussac expressed concerns for the mine's effect on the Kuskokwim river and other possible long-term environmental impacts of the project. Kurt Parkan, External Affairs Manager for Donlin Gold assured the public that Donlin wants, "to make sure that this project can be done environmentally responsibly with minimal impact before it's permitted.

A missing Kwethluk man's body was found in the Eenayarak River on Sunday afternoon, after he was reported overdue Friday from berry picking with his wife. Alaska State Troopers in Bethel were informed at about noon Friday that Yako Fisher, 34, had last been seen headed downstream in a blue 16-foot Lund boat with a 60-horsepower Yamaha motor on the Eenayarak, at a point about 25 miles upstream from the Kuskokwim River and north of Eek. Searchers found Fisher's boat about 12 or 13 miles downstream on Friday night, but continuing efforts to locate Fisher were hampered by heavy rain and high winds into Sunday.

Nearly three years after a small majority of Bethel voters approved unlimited alcohol sales, a Channel 2 News investigation reveals that crime rates in the region have increased, especially in some of the 56 smaller villages nearby. In October 2009 Bethel voters decided, 615 to 523, to change Bethel from a "damp" community to a "wet" one, removing the previous alcohol import limit of 10.5 ounces per person per month. Perhaps because of the fact there are still no liquor stores or bars located in the Kuskokwim River's main port city, population 6,080, there is a popular opinion among many Bethel residents that not much has changed.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Kuskokwim River until 10 p.m. Wednesday. The Kuskokwim breached its banks in the village of Kwethluk in the past few days. On Sunday, sick and elderly residents were evacuated to Bethel after the flood warning was issued. The flood incident commander says river conditions have worsened since then flooding low lying areas and other parts of the community with about 6 inches of water. The village public safety officer says Sunday's evacuations were necessary.

The flood warning on the Kuskokwim River near Aniak has been extended until 10 p.m. Tuesday. An ice jam has formed about 10 miles down river near Crow Village. Water levels will continue to rise until the ice jam releases. As for the rest of the state, conditions remain fairly consistent on May 8. A weakening area of low pressure in the Gulf of Alaska continues to create rain showers in Southeast. Convection from two different lows wills keep the showers going through this evening but they are expected to end by Wednesday.

Riverfront communities in Alaska hold their breath this time of year as the ice breaks up and the potential for flooding becomes a serious threat. But this spring, it appears many villages are in-the-clear, at least for now. “It can seem quiet but it also has the potential of going very rapidly up to an emergency and that's what we prepare for,” said John Madden, Director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. One place emergency managers are watching closely is Aniak, where a flood warning is in effect until Monday night.

The flood warning for the Kuskokwim River near Aniak is scheduled to expire at 10:45 p.m. Monday. An ice jam has formed about 10 miles downstream of Aniak. Flooding has been reported and the river is expected to continue to rise. While the calendar shows we're well into Spring, it's still feeling like winter across parts of the state. Northern Alaska remains to see temperatures dropping below zero overnight. Wainwright got down to -7 last night and many areas of Alaska are seeing below average temperatures for their highs on Monday.

With rivers in Western Alaska still locked by ice, it may seem early to be talking about king salmon. But with weak returns expected again this season, for many, the dialogue can't begin soon enough.  State fish and game biologists are meeting in Anchorage this week to review escapement goals for the Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim region.  The discussion is the prelude to what could be a contentious summer, especially for those who have depended on...