Posted on April 6, 2026
JUNEAU, ALASKA – The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Adam Telle, visited Juneau last week to observe the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) ongoing solutions to address flooding ahead of the annual Mendenhall Glacier Outburst Flooding Events, also known as GLOFs.
The Assistant Secretary also outlined the USACE Alaska District’s multi-pronged efforts to mitigate the annual Mendenhall Glacier flooding.
“As we confront the threat of glacial outburst flooding in the Mendenhall Valley, I have remained committed to balancing short, medium, and long-term risk reduction strategies, and that is why we are here demonstrating our shared sense of urgency,” said Sec. Telle. “By pursuing multiple solutions simultaneously, we are compressing timelines and demonstrating our commitment to protecting the people of Alaska’s capital city.”
USACE’s Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, Civil and Emergency Operations deputy commanding general, Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, Pacific Ocean Division commanding general, and Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, Alaska District commander, were also on hand for the visit.
While in Juneau, Sec. Telle toured Suicide Basin by helicopter, visited the existing Phase 1 and planned Phase 2 areas of Gabion Baskets, and met with local community leaders and media to discuss the GLOF.
Already in progress for 2026, the USACE is providing technical assistance for the repair and fortification of the Phase 1 alignment of HESCOS or also known as gabion baskets. Additionally, the Corps is helping to install temporary flood measures as part of the Phase 2 alignment of barriers. Between 2025 and 2026, a total of 84,000 linear feet of temporary flood barriers, 400 super sacks, and 112,000 sandbags have been provided to the community.
“We are bringing the best engineering solutions, and partnering with the City and Borough of Juneau, to address this complex issue to best prepare for the upcoming Mendenhall Glacier flood,” said Brig. Gen. Goetz.
Sec Telle also visited Alaska District projects in Anchorage, Nome, and Seward, Alaska.
“My office recently launched the ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative to build a faster, more responsive U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that anticipates these types of problems like we see at Mendenhall,” Sec. Telle said. “We are taking action to prevent future catastrophes.”
