Testimony from the session will feed in to the framework being developed by the borough to address river issues in a more systematic and coordinated way in the future, borough officials said.

"We have been using a band-aid approach thus far to address erosion issues along this large, powerful river," said Frankie Barker, the borough's environmental planner. "The river is not going to change its behavior, so it is time for us to look at better ways we can learn to live next to it."

Erosion incidents in the past have been addressed on a case-by-case basis by a variety of agencies and governments as funding was available. Local governments, state and federal agencies, community councils and subdivisions adjacent to the river have been invited to participate in this planning process.

The borough's timeline calls for having the plan completed by February 2010.

"We would like to get some consensus on how to deal with erosion issues 10 to 20 years out," Barker said.

The borough has budgeted close to $100,000 for the planning process, but at this point, there isn't any funding for any erosion control projects, Barker said.

Efforts for future funding sources will depend on the focus of the completed management plan. Those funding sources could ultimately include some that would allow the borough to buy up threatened properties. In the past the borough purchased three properties in the Sutton area that were threatened by the river's erosion pattern.

Meanwhile, some 700 postcards have been mailed to people owning property for that section of the river, advising them of the upcoming meeting, she said.

Additional public meetings will be held at Sutton and the Butte area later this year, and there will be opportunities for public review as draft plans are written.

The current erosion problems are on the Butte side, but that probably will switch at some point back down to the Palmer side, Barker said.

The Matanuska River shows traditional patterns of glacial rivers, with narrow points at bedrock, then spreading out into available channels. As the river brings down more silt and gravel from glaciers it fills up old passages and seeks out new ones.

About 20 years ago, river erosion took out some acreage on the Palmer side, and now it is in the Butte, Barker said. It's easy for residents of the area to forget about past erosion problems once is subsides and vegetation grows up for a while, she said.

Some of these property can be covered by flood insurance, but those typically affected by river erosion can't, Barker said.

"There is no erosion insurance, but there is flood insurance and people are encouraged to get flood insurance," she said.

Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaska

journal.com.