WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENTS AND NAVIGA

TIONAL IMPROVEMENTS IN ALASKA

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1973

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES,

Kotzebue, Alaska.

The subcommittee met, at 9:30 a.m., pursuant to recess, Hon. Mike Gravel (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Senator Gravel.

Also present: Wesley F. Hayden, professional staff member, and Robert Mitchell, administrative assistant to Senator Gravel.

Senator GRAVEL. The hearing will come to order.

By way of introduction, I would like to give some information about the nature of the hearings and introduce those that are traveling with

us.

On my right is Col. Paul Driscoll, who is from the Corps of Engineers in Washington, and who represents this district as part of the region west of the Continental Divide. Needless to say, this is certainly the upper end of your district, Paul.

Also traveling with us from the Corps of Engineers is Col. Paul Bazilwich, who is the Deputy District Engineer for the Alaska region and has first-hand experience and knowledge of Alaska.

On my left is Wes Hayden, the executive director of the Subcommittee on Water Resources, a subcommittee which I chair, and under whose jurisdiction these hearings in Alaska are being held.

We are traveling around the State to inventory its water resources needs of the State, to find out the various projects that the people have in mind and which could serve both the economic and the social needs of Alaska.

As a result of this inventory, we will be able to go back to Washington and build a record that can be used in the formulation of legislation that we hope will address itself to the problems about which we are concerned here.

Our hearings here in Kotzebue actually cover not only Kotzebue but the entire surrounding region. It is our hope that we will not only take testimony here and listen to the people but at the same time, will be able to make a personal investigation of some of the facilities so that we can complement this knowledge with our own inspection.

In addition to this particular trip-we will be here only 1 day-we are going on to Nome to hold hearings. I plan on coming back and holding additional discussions in the Kotzebue area on August 30 and 31. On

the 30th, it will be our hope to travel to Noorvik, Selawik, and Kiana, and then on the 31st to Shungnak, Ambler, and Noatak, and on September 1 to Kivalina and Point Hope.

Accompanying me on that particular trip to these communities to listen to the people and their problems and to try and develop some knowledge as to how we can make Government somewhat more responsive, will be representatives of the State government: Willie Hensley and Frank Ferguson, Robert Newland and John Schaffer, the latter two representing the Regional Native Organization.

We will attempt to notify the people in these various communities in order to pinpoint a time and date for our visits and to make the necessary arrangements to have them prepare testimony so that we can have an opportunity to listen to them and discuss their problems. Our first witness today is the very distinguished and honorable Willie Hensley, State senator from this community, who is also the president of the AFN.

Mr. Hensley.

STATEMENT OF HON. WILLIAM HENSLEY, STATE SENATOR KOTZEBUE, ALASKA

Mr. HENSLEY. Senator Gravel, welcome to Kotzebue; Colonel Driscoll from the Corps of Engineers, Colonel Bazilwich from the Corps in Anchorage and Mr. Hayden. We are very happy to have you in Kotzebue today.

Of course, I wish it were possible for you to stay a little longer at this time but I understand now that you are coming back to visit in the area later on.

I am very pleased that your subcommittee has been able to make it to Alaska to hold these series of hearings around the State and especially that you are here in Kotzebue and in the northwestern portion of the State.

As you well know, we have more coastline and waterways than any State in the Union. In fact, more so than I think all of the States of the Union put together.

The subcommittee that you chair is very important to the interests of Alaska, especially when such matters dealing with such things as harbors and channels, rivers, dredging, breakwaters.

In this past part of the country, of course, northwest Alaska, we have very serious problems of erosion. I think you will find this a problem in virtually every community in western Alaska, due to the fact that we are located usually along the ocean shores or along the river banks.

The problems of erosion you will find are quite serious in some locations.

The other factor at least in terms of northwest Alaska interests is the necessity, we feel, of a deepwater port primarily because of the need for improved transportation and we feel an improved deepwater port would help cut the costs of lightering, the freight bills that people have to pay that are added up in the cost of their material that they buy.

I am not sure what the eventual resolution of the need for a deepwater port in northwest Alaska is, but I am sure it is not going to be feasible more than likely to build a series of deepwater ports.

I know that Nome is interested in a port. I know that Lost River is deeply involved in trying to plan for a deepwater port.

At this stage, at least, in the Kotzebue region we do not know what the future is going to hold in terms of our natural resource development. We are sort of in limbo in terms of what to do about a deepwater port. We do have to lighter everything into Kotzebue from the freighters that come in from Seattle. Of course, this adds costs to what the people have to pay for their goods and services. But there is potential.

We do not know what the eventual result is going to be with Kennecott's mining operation of bornite. I know that the Corps of Engineers has in the past done some studies about the possibility of dredging, particularly in light of the Kennecott mine at that time.

At this point we are not sure where that project is going to go, whether it is going to be reactivated or not.

As you probably have read in the newspapers and magazines there is some potential for gas development in this area and that will also add to the necessity for some type of transportation in the future.

Of course the other is the effect that a port, a deepwater port may have on northwest Alaska. If it is located even at Lost River, I understand that it would cut the cost of freighting from the lower States from Seattle to something very significant. I am sure you will hear about that when they testify. But that would also make it possible for this region to have their supplies brought in at a much cheaper cost than we have to pay now.

With respect to Kotzebue I think you will hear from our city manager as to the needs of this community. We don't even have a small boat harbor which we should have for a community of this size which we have worked on to some extent.

With respect to some of the surrounding villages, the major problem, I feel, is one of erosion. I am not so sure what the capabilities are of the corps on a problem like this when you have a town of 400 or 500 people or more that faces river erosion. It is a major problem because of the break-ups in the spring.

We have this problem in Noorvik, we have had the problem in Point Hope and we have had erosion problem, of course, here in Kotzebue with our front street. It is only an occasional large storm that we have that causes our problem, but then we have had really insufficient funds to really do an adequate job of reconstructing our main street here, which is the beach area.

That is the extent of my testimony at this time. I am sure that some of the other people who will be here to testify will give you some more specifics on our more local problems.

Senator GRAVEL. Very good. Actually, in enumerating the inventory, we are talking about a deepwater port. an erosion problem and a small boat harbor. We will have an opportunity to see and inspect the erosion problem on the beach, and we will also get down to your processing plant here.

Mr. HENSLEY. There is also, of course, one other problem. That is the problem of depth in some of our rivers here. We cannot reach for

instance the village of Noatak unless the circumstances are favorable for the delivery of goods. They have to deliver their year's supply of goods by small boat. After maybe around 8 or 10 miles they have to be deposited that far from the village and then carried on up to the village.

We have a similar problem up in the upper regions of the Kobuk when the water is low. Of course, again I am not sure to what extent this kind of problem can be resolved by the subcommittee.

Senator GRAVEL. Thank you very much.

I would like to next call upon Representative Frank Ferguson, who is the State legislator from this area.

STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK FERGUSON, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, KOTZEBUE, ALASKA

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman and guests of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Water Resources.

Before I start here I would like to mention that the delegation from the North Slope Borough had planned to attend the meeting but due to weather had to stay in Barrow.

I believe some of the testimony may have included the beach erosion between Bowerville and Barrow, possibly the inclusion of a deep sea harbor at Cape Thompson and possibly the relocation of the village of Point Hope due to beach erosion and many other problems. I am sure that they also will have a written statement.

Senator GRAVEL. We will be happy to receive their statement. [The following statement was subsequently received:]

Re: Marine Facility at Barrow

Hon. MIKE GRAVEL,

U.S. Senate, New Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C.

NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH,

Barrow, Alaska, September 19, 1973.

DEAR SENATOR GRAVEL: Recent announcement made by the oil industry at Prudhoe Bay outlines the tons upon tons of freight being barged from Seattle to the North Slope. These ocean-going barges with seemingly unlimited capacity have streamed by Barrow but as of this writing the NORTH STAR has just made its delivery. As you know the lack of any marine facility results in an expensive lighterage operation. In addition the size and weight of the cargo is limited because of the lack of any marine facility.

Only with a facility which will allow for off-loading of these huge ocean-going barges and the North Star are we going to enjoy a lower cost and more efficient transportation of goods and services the huge industry buildup should have given our people.

We, therefore, ask you to raise your sights and include Barrow and other possible ports in the marine facility program being considered for Nome. Your attention to this detail will certainly be appreciated by all. Sincerely,

EBEN HOBSON, Mayor, North Slope Borough.

Mr. FERGUSON. I would like to also mention at this time that the delegation from Shishmaref was to be here also and they have had problems with beach erosion at Shishmaref and possibly would like to discuss the relocation of their village due to beach erosion.

Senator GRAVEL. Similarly, if they can submit something in writing to us on their particular problem, we will receive it.

[The delegation from Shishmaref subsequently arrived at the hearing Their testimony may be found at p. 189.]

Mr. FERGUSON. I am Frank Ferguson, State representative to the Alaska State Legislature. I wish to take this opportunity to express appreciation to your subcommittee for including Kotzebue in your busy itinerary. It is an honor to have you with us and extend to you and your fellow colleagues from Washington an open invitation to visit our villages in northwest and North Slope Alaska.

The district that I represent in the Alaska State Legislature is endowed with approximately 1,100 miles of coastline from the village of Shishmaref on the Seward Peninsula to the Canadian border on the Arctic Ocean and encompasses hundreds of miles of fish-supporting streams.

I am hesitant to guess at the number of miles of the navigable waters in this district until the question is settled authoritatively.

Ironically, the first civil works mission in Alaska by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was initiated in northwest Alaska in 1911 dredging the St. Michael Canal near the mouth of the Yukon River, but we haven't seen much of the corps activity since then.

The only current information available to me at this time concerning corps projects in Alaska is the document entitled "Water Resource Development" published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in

1971.

Keeping in mind that this document was published in 1971, I wish to give you my rough calculations of the Federal expenditures up to that date.

I have broken Alaska into four districts and my interpretation of the document indicates that corps projects were authorized and funded in the following districts: southeast Alaska, $98.9 million; south central Alaska, $98.2 million; central Alaska, $139.4 million; northwestern Alaska, $5.2 million.

The northwestern district had a total of two projects with the Nome Harbor costing $4.6 million initiated in 1923.

The document also indicates that a total of $80,000 was spent on the corps projects initiated above the 66° longitude of Alaska which means that over one-third of Alaska has been dormant of water resource development.

I do not take issue with the seemingly disproportionment of corps projects in Alaska but merely wish to illustrate the lack of water resource development in the northwest and North Slope regions of Alaska.

The corps has said that the average timeframe for initiating a high priority project in Alaska is 4 years and gave a figure of 5 to 10 years for initiating less priority projects, a flood control and small boat harbor authorized for Kotzebue in 1966 has to my knowledge not been funded to this date.

Our villages in the northwest and North Slope regions are in desperate need of almost every facet of the corps projects and to have to wait 4 to 10 years for relief only increases the hardship and financial burden.

Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, it is not only the timeframe of Federal regulation that has hampered corps projects in this region, but the inability to economically justify corps projects. The actual problem is the regions were unable to pay their fair share of local participation in these Federal projects. Needless to say, these regions are now surging with untapped natural resources that are not only essential