Repairing nature

Overview shows the area affected.  Note the trees leaning toward the river.

Last summer I put up a few posts about flooding along the Matanuska River and bank erosion that took out one outbuilding and a guest cabin and leaving the main cabin precipitously hanging over the water.  An owner hauled another cabin off before the river took it.  A number of large trees along the bank also succumbed to the undercutting.

Well, this summer the state went to work.  Excavators dug up most of the ground between the river bank and a bike trail that runs past the property.  Then truckers hauled in rip-rap (huge rocks) and filled in the open trench which was then covered with topsoil and seeded.

Just last week workers demolished the main house which was still hanging over the river at an odd angle, and hauled the residue away.

Muddy area is where the house was removed recently.

These pictures show the result of the work.  The one at the top is an overview of most of the property affected.  The muddy spot in the smaller picture is where the house stood, well, leaned, until last week.

Just an addendum.  The family that had been living in the house had no insurance and didn't have the money to save it so they had to abandon it.  Then they lost most of their belongings when a fire burned the apartment where they were living last winter.

Original story