The Kenai Bluff Bank Stabilization Project is officially underway following a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Monday, Jun. 10. The project, which has orbited the discussions of Kenai city councils dating back more than 60 years, is set to begin this summer and finish in 2026.
A modest crowd of locals and invited dignitaries, including Borough Mayor Peter Micciche, Peninsula delegates Jesse Bjorkman and Justin Riffridge, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski and Elaina Spraker Regional Director with U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan office, gathered in the morning on the characteristically breezy lawn of the Kenai Senior Center, a location specifically selected for its proximity to the eroding bluff overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River. The senior center, which used to sit comfortably from the bluff’s edge, is now roughly 50 yards from succumbing to the receding escarpment.
US Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Jeff Palazzini said the project is “designed to shield the lower portion of the bluff from storm damage and prevent erosion along the shoreline.” It will “prevent the tides and the currents from the river from taking the bank material out, and it will allow the upper slope to transform from a steep and barren bluff to a stable and venerated river bank.”
The project bears not only the stabilization of the bluff but also the stabilization of community and commerce in the city of Kenai.
It’s difficult to consider yourself a stable community with the rate of erosion we’ve seen over the last 50 years,” said Borough Mayor Peter Micciche. “It’s not just bluff stabilization; it’s community stabilization, commerce stabilization, and stabilization for our community. It’s very important now that we can plan what will be remaining once this project is complete. I think we’ll see a significant amount of investment.”
According to Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel, the project should also provide a boost to the city’s economy. “This is a real problem that’s been going on for a long time that needs to be addressed to help us save our infrastructure, but not only that, but [also] spur investment in the future.”
Senator Murkowski, who served as an indispensable link between the project and federal dollars, attributed the federal contributions to the successful completion of several scientific studies.
“The first increment that I was involved with was back in 2002 [and] that was $500,000 for that initial study,” said the senator. “Then in 2015, that was when we got the Chief’s report from the corps that again put it on their list of priorities. 2021 comes along, and with the passage of the infrastructure bill, being able to direct $37.5 million towards this project that had been deemed a significant priority by the community and by the corps.”
In total, the 5,000-foot burm will comprise approximately 42,400 cubic yards of armor rock, 33,200 cubic yards of crushed rock, and 13,100 cubic yards of gravel brought in on 30-40 barges over the next three summers.
