SITKA Administrative History

Chapter 4:
SITKA NATIONAL MONUMENT, MIDDLE YEARS (continued)

Gravel problems

Gravel removal at the mouth of Indian River resumed and continued intermittently through the 1950s. An unknown amount was removed by a private party in 1951, the Bureau of Land Management sold an additional 20,000 cubic yards of gravel in 1957, the Public Health Service removed 40,000 cubic yards in 1958; and, after the State of Alaska assumed jurisdiction over tidelands in 1959, its Department of Public Works removed 100,000 yards of gravel and 20,000 more cubic yards were sold to private parties. The continued sales undermined many of the monument's values and its superintendent recommended no further investment at Sitka until the National Park Service controlled the tidelands adjacent to the monument. [275]

A peripherally related gravel issue arose in 1958 when the Alaska Lumber and Pulp Company obtained permission to divert Indian River water to wash gravel needed for pulp mill construction. Monument officials objected to this withdrawal as it could dry up Indian River and Fish and Wildlife Service officials consented only if diversion operations would be suspended in times of low water. [276]

State officials aggravated the gravel situation in 1960 when they issued permits for removal of 140,000 cubic yards of material adjacent to the mouth of Indian River. The National Park Service, although the adjacent upland owner, was not consulted about the permits which were valid until 1969. [277] The state subsequently decided that it would issue no new permits for removal of gravel at the mouth of Indian River. Several state permits remained in effect, as did a few old permits issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. There was continuing pressure for new leases. [278]

The gravel situation at Sitka became critical in 1964 when the State of Alaska received federal funding to construct an airport on Japonski Island. Engineers estimated that the construction would require one million cubic yards of gravel. The tidelands off Sitka National Monument were the most likely source of such material. Although the National Park Service had been trying to obtain control of the tidelands for several years, it had been unable to do so. There was no funding for the cadastral survey required before the federal government could lease the tidelands, which had passed to the state and in part to the City of Sitka under provisions of the Alaska Statehood Act. The situation was aggravated because the City of Sitka, a primary user of the gravel, now controlled some of the tidelands. [279]

Almost 10 years passed after the 1945 floods washed out the navy's contribution to Indian River erosion control before a new major project was undertaken. A major flood in 1960, as violent as those of the early 1940s, caused monument personnel to fear that future floods might do irreparable damage. [280] It also seemed timely to try some flood control work because the State of Alaska had finally agreed to discontinue gravel operations at the mouth of Indian River.

The new plan to prevent Indian River from washing away Sitka National Monument involved digging a channel approximately 800 feet long from the river mouth to mid-monument, diverting the river from its then existing course to the new channel with rock rip-rap, and rebuilding eroded banks with the gravel obtained in the course of digging the new channel. The plan was implemented in July of 1961 after approval of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game had been obtained. A long spell of dry weather facilitated implementation by causing the river level to be extremely low.

When the dry weather ended on August 11, 1961, Sitka had 9 1/2 inches of rain in 36 hours. This caused Indian River to rise about five feet and to divert itself into the new channel. The new channeling and rip-rap protected the monument from what could have been an even more serious erosion problem, although several feet of the lower end of the rip-rap fell into the channel and had to be replaced after the waters subsided.

This early 1960s effort to control Indian River erosion ended with recognition that an additional 20 to 40 feet of gravel fill would need to be placed behind the rip-rap if it were to survive. [281]