Posts Near Noatak Map Timeline

LEO Member Jeffrey Luther has been documenting erosion along the Noatak River for many years. His drone footage this spring captures new bank erosion features and icicle formations.

Heavy rains have elevated river levels throughout August and September. High water continues to erode the river bank in the community. The photos show a tree that was 22 feet from the edge is know 3 feet. Total erosion has reached 91 ft. by old landfill and new mark shows 112 ft. marker.

The river in Noatak is slowly cutting away parts of the road. This is an on going problem and the observation by Jeffrey Luther provides the latest in a series about erosion and related impacts.

This post is an update on the river erosion situation in Noatak, where a new channel is being cut by the Noatak River.

Community gravel source and old dump site threated by erosion.

The collapse was documented with drone imagery as was a permafrost rebound signature in the river water.

Noatak has lost 19' of river bank since May 19th. Now the road to the community gravel source is failing.

I'm guessing all the rain we received during summer of 2021 created the trench.

"This year we had a lot more rain than other years, we used to be able to get on our ATVs and travel 10-12 miles upriver. I haven't seen or heard of anyone using ATVs to travel upriver this year. I think the breakthrough channel has a lot to do with us not being able to travel on ATVs. I see a lot of my favorite ATV fishing spots washed away from the highwater."

Unusual high water all summer in Noatak, causing massive erosion towards the airport and old buried landfill, exposing old trash into the river.

The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope

Extremely high water on the Noatak

The erosion that prompted Gov. Mike Dunleavy's action is advancing on the Northwest Alaska community's water lines.