Planning for the Future of Erosion Management in Alaska

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Planning for the Future of Erosion Management in
Alaska

• The Alaska Baseline Erosion Assessment and How to
  Plan for Erosion Issues in Alaska
• Bruce R Sexauer PE
• Alaska District US Army Corps of Engineers

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Overview

• Baseline Erosion Assessment
• Focus on Planning Process
• Shishmaref Case Study
• Where Are Doing Next

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Bering Sea - October 2004
Nome Airport
Shishmaref BIA Revetment
Shishmaref Housing

Nome Flooding
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AVETA Baseline Erosion

• The conference finds there is a need for an
  Alaska erosion baseline study to coordinate and
  plan the appropriate responses and assistance for
  Alaska villages in the most need and to provide
  an overall assessment on the priority of which
  villages should receive assistance.

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Planning An Iterative Process

• Identifying Problems and Opportunities
• Inventorying and Forecasting Conditions
• Formulating Alternative Plans
• Evaluating Alternative Plans
• Comparing Alternative Plans
• Selecting a Recommended Plan

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Problems and Opportunities

• Whats a Problem?
• Whats An Opportunity?

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Inventorying and Forecasting Conditions

• What is being damaged?
• What will likely happen?

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Formulate Alternatives

• Structural / Non Structural
• Short Term / Long Term

Relocate to Mainland
Stay Here
Move To Nome
Do Nothing
Rip Rap Everything
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Evaluate Alternative Plans

• What Does It Cost?
• What Are the Benefits?

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Comparing Alternatives

• How Do You Compare Apples and Oranges?

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Selecting a Recommended Plan

• So What are We Going to Recommend?
• Federal Plan
• Local Plan
• Who Pays for What

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What Are We Going To Do Now?

• Baseline Erosion
• Identified 150 Communities With Erosion Issues
• Investigations This Summer
• Identify
• Problem
• How Long Till Critical
• Potential Solution

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What Are We Going To Do Now?

• The Big Three
• Shishmaref
• Assist with further planning and construction.
• Kivilina
• Shore them up and plan for future
• Newtok
• Get the momentum going for relocation

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What Are We Going To Do Now?

• Other Communities
• Barrow
• Bethel
• Deering
• Dillingham
• Kaktovik
• Koyukuk
• Kwethluk
• Point Hope

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In Summary

• Corps is actively involved in erosion issues
• Good planning leads to good solutions
• Define the problem without supposing a solution

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Planning for the Future of Erosion Management in
Alaska

• Questions?