Borough Lands Committee looks at ways to reduce flooding events

Mitch Borden/KMXT

The Kodiak Island Borough Lands Committee met on Wednesday to approve a proposed resolution to the borough assembly. The resolution, if passed, will direct borough staff to look into options for gravel extraction in the Russian River and Sargent Creek.

Both waterways have been known to flood and have affected nearby residential properties. According to the lands committee, removing gravel from the floodplains along the river and creek should ease the effects of future floods.

Maggie Slife, the borough’s resource management officer, told the lands committee that the resolution is scheduled to go before the borough assembly in February, but it has requested a special information session on the gravel extraction after its regular meeting on January 4th, 2018.