Matanuska River erosion prompts warning to Butte residents

Elevated water levels on the Matanuska River have the Matanuska-Susitna Borough warning residents along the river to be prepared for the possibility of rapid evacuations.

In a statement Sunday night, the borough warned Butte residents between Mile 13 of the Old Glenn Highway and the Maud Road Extension at Mile 15 that portions of the river bank were "beginning to show signs of breeching." Borough and Butte fire officials were monitoring the area for further developments.

"There is NO need to evacuate currently, but residents should be aware that if the rain and breeching continue, flooding may become imminent at any time," borough officials wrote. "If flooding occurs residents should be prepared to immediately evacuate to safer ground, and in preparing for this should have all important documents, medications, photos and pet supplies ready to vacate their premises."

Casey Cook, the Mat-Su Borough's emergency manager, said no flooding was being reported in the area Monday morning. He estimated that about 50 residents and 25 homes are located in the affected area.

"We lost a few more trees over the night, but the water's still being held at bay," Cook said.

Butte and Sutton regularly experience summer erosion and flooding along the Matanuska River that prompts evacuations and even destroys homes and buildings.

Eric Holloway, a National Weather Service meteorologist with the Anchorage-based River Forecast Center, said Monday that water levels along the Matanuska have been high for most of this summer — often near what's considered a minor flood stage for the river.

"These higher water levels have been going on for over a month; waters levels have risen recently," Holloway said. "Now it's starting to go up with waters from increased rainfall."

According to Holloway, the river often shifts its drainage patterns, presenting a variable threat level to homes on its banks.

"History has shown that this thing migrates back and forth, and people living in the wrong part of the channel this year could see some issues," Holloway said. "It's part of living next to the Matanuska River."

The weather service's seven-day forecast for the Butte area calls for showers or rain through much of the week, as similar conditions across the region help fire crews fighting the McHugh Creek fire south of Anchorage.