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Current Headlines:

DOT Reaches 9 Mile Bridge
April 19th,  2012
Bob Miller

State of Alaska DOT work crews reached the Situk River at 9 Mile Bridge,  11am today.  They have another day of clearing snow from the parking lot and boat launch area before access is completely restored.  Steelheaders can now drive all the way to the bridge and more easily fish the upper river.

A LENGTHY article about Yakutat's snow and the Situk in the Alaska Dispatch,  with WAY TOO MUCH of me in it...

As if the winter of epic snowfall wasn't enough to suffer in coastal Alaska, now comes some really bad news: the lily white fallout is messing with the start of fishing season.

At Yakutat on the Gulf of Alaska coast, the Alaska Department of Transportation is in an all-out war with remnants of Mother Nature's big dump as it tries to open road access to the upper reaches of the fabled Situk River, the most renowned steelhead trout stream in the state. The fishing action on that stream usually starts the first of the month.

Not this year.

"There's a lot of fish in the river, and nobody's really fishing it yet," said Bob Miller, owner of the Situk River Fly Shop. Anglers who'd scheduled trips early have canceled or rescheduled, hoping that snow blockading the river eventually melts.

12 feet of snow on road

Road crews facing 10 to 12 feet of wet, heavy compacted snow covering the road to the bridge across the upper river, some nine miles out of town, have been working almost around the clock for a week, advancing only a half-mile per day. "We haven't had snow like this since 1974 or 1975," said foreman Robert Lekanof.

*****READ MORE*****
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaskas-prized-steelhead-trout-river-buried-under-epic-snows?page=0,0

Alaska Marine Highway - Ferry Openings to Yakutat Available on Stand-by Basis
April 15th,  2012
Bob Miller

The State of Alaska Marine Highway ferry stops in Yakutat twice in April and five times in May this season.  Reservations are extremely limited into and out of Yakutat,  however they do reserve three additional "stand-by" spaces on the elevator exclusively for Yakutat vehicles between Juneau and Whittier.

If you attempt to make a reservation and there is no space available,  you can get on the stand-by list by calling Joanne Mason at (907)465-8818,  or Allison Cheeseman at (907)465-8816.  You must first be rejected for confirmed space,  before calling these lines.  Be advised that "reserved" space on the elevator is not a guarantee of passage.  Availability is at the captain's discretion and the space may be closed due to sea and weather conditions.

This opportunity is limited,  but it does provide Yakutat-bound travelers with an additional option for vehicle transport both into and out of Yakutat.

By EMILY RUSSO MILLER juneauempire.com Copyright 2012 Juneau Empire. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

*****READ MORE*****
http://juneauempire.com/local/2012-04-08/cold-case-murder-trial-pushed-november

Lower Road to Situk River Opens

DOT Changes Goal to 9 Mile
Bob Miller
Date: April 7th,  2012 11:10am AKT

The long-awaited goal of opening road access to the Situk River,  near Yakutat,  Alaska has been partially achieved - weeks later than normal.  Heavier than usual winter snows left more than 10 feet of snow on the roads,  for State of Alaska DOT crews to remove.  Spring steelhead fishermen have been delaying,  or cancelling their fishing trips,  as the start of the season pushed later and later into the prime season due to a lack of river access.

The Situk River is an internationally famous fishing destination,  with the largest wild steelhead run in all of Alaska.  Tens of thousands of sea-run rainbow trout return to the crystal-clear water of the Situk each April and May,  making this remote stream one of the best runs in the world.  The Situk is located approximately 10 miles southeast of Yakutat,  a small village along Alaska's Gulf Coast.  Yakutat's economy is highly dependent on the visiting sport fishermen for its survival and the delay in opening river access has cost the local community dearly in the already troubled economic times of the recession.

DOT crews will now switch their focus to removing snow from Forest Highway 10,  which accesses the Situk River 13.5 miles farther upstream from the recently opened Lower Landing road.  With both access roads open in the near future,  fishermen will be able to launch drift boats to float the river all the way to tidewater at the ocean outlet.  With as much as 12 feet of heavy snow on the upper road,  it will be a difficult challenge to State of Alaska Department of Transportation crews,  working double shifts with bulldozers,  loaders and road grader equipment.  The tremendous difficulty and slow progress the local team experienced while exceeding the capabilities of man and equipment required a second crew to be flown in from other southeast Alaska towns to supplement the exhausted local workers.

It is estimated that Forest Highway 10 will be open for traffic on or around April 24th,  providing Yakutat does not receive any additional snow.  In the meantime,  fishermen can walk the river channel from the Lower Landing road,  or utilize one of the jet-boat authorized guides to access areas of the river farther upstream.  The Yakutat Lodge is also offering access to 9 Mile Bridge on Forest Highway 10 via snow machines until that road opens.

Yakutat Lodge:
www.yakutatlodge.com
(907)784-3232

Jet-boat Authorized Guides:
Bob Fraker
(907)784-3319

Frank Deveraux
No Phone Available

Tsunami-tossed boat:  UPDATE!

U.S. Coast Guard sinks Japanese ghost ship
The Associated Press
Date: Thu. Apr. 5 2012 11:19 PM ET

The long, lonely voyage of the Japanese ghost ship is over.

A U.S. Coast Guard cutter unleashed cannon fire on the abandoned 164-foot Ryou-Un Maru on Thursday, ending a journey that began when last year's tsunami dislodged it and set it adrift across the Pacific Ocean.

It sank into waters more than 1,000 feet deep in the Gulf of Alaska, more than 150 miles from land.

The crew pummeled the ghost ship with high explosive ammunition and, soon after, the Ryou-Un Maru burst into flames, began to take on water and list, officials said.

A huge column of smoke could be seen over the gulf.

The Coast Guard warned mariners to stay away, and aviation authorities did the same for pilots. A Coast Guard C-130 plane crew monitored the operation.

In about four hours, the ship vanished into the water, said Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow in Juneau.

Officials decided to sink the ship, rather than risk the chance of it running aground or endangering other vessels in the busy shipping lanes between North America and Asia...

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120405/US-Coast-Guard-to-sink-Japanese-ghost-ship-120405/#ixzz1rIB7H3Se

Tsunami-tossed boat spotted off western Canada

Published March 24, 2012
| Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A large fishing vessel swept away by the tsunami that devastated Japan last year has been spotted adrift off British Columbia in western Canada.

Jeff Olsson of Victoria's Joint rescue coordination center says an airplane contracted by the government spotted the 50-foot-long vessel recently about 160 miles west of Haida Gwaii, slowly drifting toward shore.

The vessel has been identified as coming from Hokkaido, Japan. Olsson says no one is believed to be aboard and there's no environmental danger.

A maritime warning has been issued because the vessel could pose a navigational hazard.

About 5 million tons of debris were swept into the ocean in March 2011 when a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck Japan.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/24/tsunami-tossed-boat-spotted-off-western-canada/#ixzz1q3wpOGWn

Sick seal near Yakutat shows possible spread of disease
By DAN JOLING
Associated Press
Published: March 7th, 2012 04:22 PM 

Federal scientists said Wednesday that a nearly bald, lethargic seal recovered from the Southeast Alaska coast showed the same symptoms of a disease that sickened ringed seals and Pacific walrus on the state's north coast last year. 

Fishermen last week spotted the seal near Yakutat at the top of the Alaska Panhandle, where it was captured and taken to Anchorage. The seal was determined to be so ill that it was euthanized. 

Believed to be a ringed seal, it suffered symptoms similar to the ones found in 60 dead seals and 75 diseased seals that were discovered along the Beaufort and Chukchi seas of northern and Northwest Alaska beginning in July, according to a National Marine Fisheries Service statement. The areas where the latest animal and the seals were found last year are separated by thousands of miles of water. 

"The seal, determined to be a yearling, exhibited almost total hair loss and nodular, ulcerated scabbed skin sores," said veterinary pathologist Kathy Burek-Huntington, who is part of an international group of experts working to the disease's cause. "These sores are consistent with the disease process we have been seeing in the ice seals in the North Slope and Bering Strait areas." 

Most of the sickened animals were ringed seals but include 11 spotted seals and eight bearded seals, said Julie Speegle, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Diseased ringed seals also were found last year in Canada and Russia.

*****Read more*****
 http://www.adn.com/2012/03/07/2357733/sick-alaska-seal-shows-possible.html

January 10th,  2011 - Not much else to report on other than weather,  but Cordova seems to have it worse this winter.  Yakutat traditionally holds the Alaska record for most snowfall of any "city" (and I use that term loosely).  This season,  we have been just a degree or two warmer than Cordova,  the next "city" to our northwest up the coast.  We had 7 1/2 feet of snow fall in November,  but December warmed just enough to change Yakutat's precipitation to rain and washed most of that snow away.  We are back to heavy snowfall here,  with a winter storm warning through tomorrow AM.  An additional 16 inches is expected to fall here at sea level.

Here is a news report sent to me today about Cordova's and Nome's winter plight:

Towns Seek Help Weathering Harsh Winter (Even by Alaska's Standards)

Published January 10, 2012  -Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Residents of two Alaska communities are seeking outside help after an exceptionally harsh winter left one buried in snow and the other iced in and facing a fuel shortage.

Dozens of U.S. National Guard members are helping the fishing town of Cordova dig out from mountains of snow that collapsed roofs, triggered avalanches and trapped some people in homes.

By one count, more than 10 feet of snow has fallen in the town of 2,000 in the last few weeks.

With high winds, more snow and possibly rain in the forecast, responders and local volunteers Monday were trying to shovel out buildings considered most at risk...

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/10/towns-seek-help-weathering-harsh-winter-even-by-alaskas-standards/#ixzz1j5b01eEl

More exciting news from the National Weather Service:
November 27th,  2011 at 2:47PM AK Standard Time

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM AKST MONDAY... 

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM AKST MONDAY. 

* SNOW...8 TO 13 INCHES FOR YAKUTAT. 
* SNOW...5 TO 10 INCHES FOR ELFIN COVE AND PELICAN. 
* SNOW...6 TO 8 INCHES NEAR HAINES AND 8 TO 10 INCHES NEAR THE BORDER. 
* WIND...S TO SE WIND GUSTING TO 40 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY ALONG THE OUTER COAST.

...CHANGING WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE ALASKAN PANHANDLE MID WEEK... 

A STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO BUILD OVER THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC. THIS WILL SEND A WARM AND VERY WET WEATHER SYSTEM INTO THE EASTERN GULF WEDNESDAY AND ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA BY THURSDAY. THIS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TO AREA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. 

THE HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL ON AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NOVEMBER SNOW PACK WHICH WILL INITIALLY RESULT IN INCREASED SNOW LOADS ON BUILDINGS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE YAKUTAT AND HAINES AREAS. IT WILL ALSO INCREASE THE AVALANCHE DANGER. 

AS TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO WARM AND THE SNOW MELTS, THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR URBAN TYPE FLOODING WHERE DITCHES AND STORM DRAINS ARE BLOCKED BY SNOW. 

PERSONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA CAN PREPARE FOR THIS EVENT BY REMOVING SNOW FROM STRUCTURES AND OBJECTS THAT CAN BE DAMAGED BY THE EXCESSIVE WEIGHT OF THE WET SNOW. STORM DRAINS SHOULD BE CLEARED OF SNOW.

CAPE FAIRWEATHER TO CAPE SUCKLING COASTAL AREA- INCLUDING THE CITY OF...YAKUTAT
456 AM AKST TUE NOV 22 2011

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM AKST WEDNESDAY

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM AKST WEDNESDAY. 

* SNOW...5 INCHES OF SNOW HAS FALLEN OVERNIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO A FOOT BY LATE TONIGHT. STORM TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 INCHES BY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.

* VISIBILITY...VISIBILITY WILL DECREASE TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES IN HEAVIER SNOW.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WARNING MEANS THAT A WINTER STORM IS ALREADY OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. THIS STORM COULD POSE A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

First Major Snow Fall
-Bob Miller  Posted November 4th,  2011

Yakutat received its first major snow fall last night,  with residents waking to about a foot of white fluff.  The forecast was calling for one to three inches overnight,  however at least 10 inches fell in the morning hours.  Snow continues to come down,  but temperatures are warming and it is expected to turn to rain this afternoon.

This is our first snow event of the season.  With the new road surfaces,  the asphalt along Max Italio Drive is much more slick than the gravel of the past.  Expect problems to develop over the winter months,  as responsibility for snow removal passes from the State Department of Transportation to the City of Yakutat.  Ownership of Max Italio Drive (the old gravel road that curves along the waterfront from the Yakutat Seafoods fish plant to near the Blue Heron Inn) changes now that the road surface has been paved.  With guardrails along the more hazardous sections of the road,  it will be more difficult to remove large amounts of snow.  In the past,  State DOT simply plowed the snow off the cliff with no guardrail in the way.

Access to the Situk River for the winter steelhead run remains open for vehicles with 4-wheel drive and sufficient clearance.  

From the National Weather Service:
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS AFTERNOON...

REST OF TODAY...SNOW...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION 3 TO 5 INCHES. HIGHS AROUND 36. EAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH. WEST OF ICY BAY...EAST WIND 35 MPH DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 MPH. 

TONIGHT...RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN SNOW LIKELY LATE. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 1 INCH. LOWS AROUND 34. EAST WIND 10 MPH. 

SATURDAY...RAIN LIKELY. HIGHS AROUND 40. EAST WIND 10 MPH IN THE MORNING BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE. 

SATURDAY NIGHT...RAIN LIKELY. LOWS AROUND 32. WEST WIND 10 MPH. 

SUNDAY...RAIN. HIGHS AROUND 39. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH.

Sorry,  I missed this article in the Juneau Empire from back in September when I was on the river...  Worth going to the Juneau Empire page if only to read the comments... (What an awful headline...  Does this mean they will destroy him?)

http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-09-19/man-sentenced-destruction-within-glacier-bay-national-park

National Weather Service - Coastal Flood Warning
Storm-driven tidal water will "inundate" Situk River fish camps at Strawberry Point and other areas along the Gulf Coast near Yakutat,  Alaska
Tuesday October 25th,  2011

CAPE FAIRWEATHER TO CAPE SUCKLING COASTAL AREA-
112 PM AKDT TUE OCT 25 2011
...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 3 PM AKDT WEDNESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JUNEAU HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 3 PM AKDT WEDNESDAY.
* LOCATION...ALONG THE NE GULF COAST NEAR YAKUTAT
* COASTAL FLOODING...EXPECT WATER LEVELS 1.5 TO 2 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL TIDE LEVELS.
* TIMING...DURING TIME OF HIGH TIDE EARLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS...WATER WILL INUNDATE SITUK FISHING CAMP.

A WARNING MEANS AREAS ALONG THE COAST ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME...OR HAVE BECOME...INUNDATED BY SEA WATER ABOVE THE TYPICAL TIDE ACTION.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7 struck 70 miles southeast of Yakutat on Wednesday evening, according to a release from the National Weather Service.

The temblor was felt in Juneau, approximately 225 miles southeast of Yakutat.

The quake in Yakutat, which struck at 6:07 p.m., is not expected to generate a tsunami, according to the NWS. Calls to the City and Borough of Yakutat office and the Yakutat Police Department were not answered.

*****READ MORE*****
http://juneauempire.com/state/2011-09-14/small-earthquake-strikes-near-yakutat

David M. Demers, 56, and Reginald D. Krkovich, 67, both of Yakutat, and Daniel Lee Hertzog, 52, a resident of Pleasant Hill, Mo., were sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess in Anchorage for illegal brown bear guiding and witness tampering, according to a press release from United States Attorney Karen Loeffler

Demers was sentenced to pay a fine of $5,000, forfeit his hunting rifle and was placed on three years probation with a no hunting condition as well as six months home confinement, for conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and witness tampering.

Krkovich was sentenced to a term of three years probation, no hunting for the three-year term and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 for a felony violation of the Lacey Act and a felony violation of witness tampering.

Hertzog was sentenced to two years probation, a fine of $10,000, no hunting for two years and forfeiture of the illegally killed bear and his hunting rifle for committing a violation of the Lacey Act...
*****READ MORE***** from the Juneau Empire
http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-08-25/men-sentenced-wildlife-charges

And...  same case from the Anchorage Daily News:

Prosecutors: Men sentenced in illegal guide scheme
The Associated Press via Anchorage Daily News

Published: August 26th, 2011 05:12 AM
Last Modified: August 26th, 2011 05:13 AM

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The U.S. attorney's office say two Yakutat men have been sentenced on charges related to illegal brown bear guiding.

David M. Demers' sentence includes a fine, three years' probation with no hunting and six months' home confinement for conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and witness tampering. Reginald Krkovich was sentenced to three years' probation with no hunting and a fine for a Lacey Act violation and witness tampering.

Another man, Daniel Lee Hertzog of Pleasant Hill, Mo., was fined, got two years' probation with no hunting and forfeited an illegally killed bear and his rifle for a Lacey Act violation.

Prosecutors say the Yakutat men weren't guides. They say Hertzog took his bear using Krkovich's tag, and Demers and Krkovich tried to get him to not cooperate with authorities...

*****READ MORE*****
 http://www.adn.com/2011/08/26/2032631/prosecutors-men-sentenced-in-illegal.html#ixzz1XK4GOvQ3

An interesting article about the Yakutat Glacier on Harlequin Lake:

Researcher studies the death of Yakutat Glacier
NED ROZELL
ALASKA SCIENCE
Anchorage Daily News

Published: August 13th, 2011 04:44 PM
Last Modified: August 13th, 2011 06:35 PM

The ice field that feeds Yakutat is large enough to cover the five boroughs of New York City. Despite its bulk, the glacier is doomed unless we experience a drastic change in climate.

Barbara Truessel has been on deathwatch for this interesting glacier for the past few years. The graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute has witnessed Yakutat's fade in the short time it takes to earn a college degree.

"It's dramatically falling apart," Truessel said.

Truessel and her adviser, Martin Truffer, along with glaciologists Chris Larsen and Roman Motyka, recently witnessed the fragmenting of the glacier's massive tongue, which coats part of Harlequin Lake.

"The breakup of the floating tongue started last year," Truessel said. "Huge tabular icebergs were floating away from the glacier. We were just lucky to be there to see that."

The glaciologists say the glacier is melting so fast that a few of its lobes will separate from the main ice mass, maybe within a year. Truffer said Yakutat, one of the fastest changing bodies of ice in Alaska, would soon become at least three glaciers...
*****READ MORE*****
 http://www.adn.com/2011/08/13/2013592/researcher-studies-the-death-of.html#ixzz1XK5YCSjM

Aircraft Crashes into Icy Bay Near Yakutat,  AK
-August 27th,  2011

State Troopers recovered the battered wreckage of a Super Cub from the ocean near Icy Bay,  70 miles west of Yakutat,  Alaska.  Unconfirmed reports are that the plane originated from the Tsiu River,  where the passenger was staying at a lodge for a fishing trip.  They may have intended to land in an effort to pick up some glacier ice from the shoreline of Icy Bay.

One body was recovered,  the passenger.  Efforts to locate the remains of the pilot have not yet been successful.

Further details are unknown at this time.

Road Repaving Nearly Complete
-August 14th,  2011

The State of Alaska DOT repaving project here in Yakutat is nearing completion - nearly two months ahead of schedule.  Secon Construction removed all old asphalt road surfaces and repaved from the airport to the boat harbor dock.  Max Italio Drive (formerly Bayview Drive) has also been paved from the cannery dock,  past Mallott's General Store,  all the way beyond Blue Heron Inn.  This week,  the painting sub-contractor is finishing the lines,  with new guard railing work to be completed by the end of August.

This project was expected to take until October to be completed,  however our exceptionally dry summer enabled the contractor to work much faster than anticipated to complete the project early and well under budget.  Yakutat should have a relatively maintenance-free road system for the next 20 years.  Most city-owned roads were not included in this project,  such as Ridge Road,  or the ASHA developments.  Also,  Forest Highway 10 remains unpaved beyond the dump.

Bob Miller

Secon Construction Available for Additonal Work
-July 1st,  2011

Secon Construction,  the contractor resurfacing most of Yakutat's main roads this summer,  is available to pick up additional asphalt paving work in August.  Anyone interested in getting some paving work done should contact Bryce Iverson at (907)784-3590,  or stop by the Secon offices at The Hangar on the second floor.

Costs can be estimated using the following guidelines:
-Square footage of your lot divided 80 square feet per ton at 2" depth = # of tons of asphalt
-Multiply that number by $200 per ton
-Additional grading and base work will cost around $.25 per square foot

If you need assistance to calculate your square footage,  contact Bryce and he can assist.  You must request the work prior to July 5th to ensure extra oil is shipped from Seattle on the next AML barge.

Bob Miller

Losses Continue in Yakutat,  Alaska
-July 1st,  2011

In the past week,  there have been two additional deaths of Yakutat residents.  One male and one female,  these two deaths are unrelated.  No details are confirmed yet,  so I will withhold names for now.  The female was found unresponsive in her Anchorage apartment yesterday.  I do not know where the male was living,  or any circumstances surrounding his passing.

Bob Miller

Interesting Tsiu River Data Relating to the City's Acquisition:
-June 30th,  2011

TSIU RIVER: FISHERIES AND LAND MANAGEMENT REPORT

Prepared for the City and Borough of Yakutat in March,  2009 by Sheinberb Associates

In the early 2000s the City and Borough of Yakutat (CBY) acquired approximately 21,500 acres of land west of Icy Bay area from the State of Alaska as part of its municipal entitlement. This included the mouth and first mile or so of several salmon bearing streams and rivers including the Tsiu River with its productive coho salmon run. Subsistence, commercial and sport fishers all utilize Tsiu River coho.

State leases (lodges, airstrips, cabins) on this new CBY land were transferred from the State to the borough in about 2005. Recent activity in the area includes five‐six sport fishing and hunting lodges (one lodge did not operate in 2008) that together have about a 100‐bed capacity and hosted approximately 875 anglers (2007), up to six air carriers bringing in day‐fishers, a commercially used airstrip and fish buying station supporting 10‐12 set gillnetters fishing commercially and staying in personal cabins.

Most of the activity occurs during the 6‐8 week coho fishing season in August to early October. The fishable portion of the Tsiu River is quite small. It is, depending on weather and sea conditions, about 3‐3.5 miles long, 20 to 60 feet wide (though it can be as wide as 150 feet depending on conditions) and 2 to 3 feet deep. Above the fishable part of the river is a “lake system” that is a braided swampy area approximately 5 to 7 miles wide with no clear channel to funnel fish in a concentrated way (so not good for fishing). Both commercial and sport fishers target the deeper (3‐4 feet) holes in the Tsiu River where fish congregate.   *****READ MORE*****

http://www.shehttp://www.sheinbergassociates.com/resource/TsiuRiver/Executive Summary Tsiu River March 2009.pdfinbergassociates.com/resource/TsiuRiver/Executive%20Summary%20Tsiu%20River%20March%202009.pdf

From the Junerau Empire - the Best of the Articles:
http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-06-21/yakutat-fisherman-died-exposure-and-drowning

By Klas Stolpe Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

JUNEAU EMPIRE

According to an uncle of one of the two fishermen who died in Monday’s commercial fishing accident near Yakutat, both of the victims were wearing life jackets and died due to the extreme temperature of the water.

Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said the boat appeared to have been swamped, and the deaths were likely a combination of hypothermia and drowning.

Yakutat residents Rex Newlun, 16, and Wayne Grey, 29, died as they tried to swim to shore after the 20-foot set net skiff they were in flipped over. A third Yakutat man, Jonathan Pavlik, 30, was found clinging to the overturned skiff and rescued.

Jack Endicot said his nephew, Newlun, was washed overboard by a rogue wave that flipped the boat over as the trio of commercial sockeye salmon set-net fishermen were exiting Dangerous River southeast of Yakutat.

The Dangerous River flows from Harlequin Lake, near ice fields at the base of the Brabazon Mountain Range in the Yakutat Ranger District in the Tongass National Forest, down to the Gulf of Alaska. The river mouth creates an estuary with the ocean waters and is known for treacherous currents and undertows that can suck a person underwater even if wearing a life jacket. The river is deceptively shallow in areas as well.

The skiff overturned roughly three quarters of a mile off the river mouth.

“They tried to swim to shore,” Endicot said. “They had life jackets on. The water is extremely cold.”

Pavlik is an experienced Alaska commercial fisherman from a well-known fishing family and Grey and Newlun were experienced in the waters around Yakutat.

Newlun would have been 17 in a few days and was captain of the Yakutat High School track team. Newlun placed second at the state championships in the shot put according to Yakutat track coach Alex Souza.

“I just spoke with him five days ago,” Souza said. “I reminded him he still had the school track uniform.”

Souza coached Newlun for two years.

“I have never coached and known such a strong, bright, outgoing, and polite kid,” Souza said. “Rex was one of a kind. He was one of those kids that you knew was going to make it in the real world and make a name for himself. He told me his plan was to be a state trooper, break the school record in shot and discus, and so much more. The world lost a kid that made everyone around him better. He was a person you wanted to be around. A student everyone looked up to and wanted to be. I looked forward to practice because of him. I am in shock with the outcome. As a teacher, coach, and friend. I will always remember Rex until the day I die. My condolences go out to the Newlun family.”

Souza also said that he grew up next door to Grey as kids.

“We went to weddings together and enjoyed many experiences as we grew up,” Souza said. “He was a hunter, a devoted brother and son, and he was a part of everyone’s life in a positive way. We loved him very much. I will miss Wayne and hold on to my friends even tighter after this tragic event.”

The Coast Guard Juneau Command Center was contacted at 5:09 p.m. Monday by pilot Les Hartley of Alsek Air Service in Yakutat who spotted an overturned skiff with a person clinging to the top of it. A seafood company in Yakutat was also notified and launched a boat to rescue the survivor. Hartley later spotted the two bodies of the dead fishermen on a nearby beach.

• Contact reporter Klas Stolpe at 523-2263 or at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.

A Tough Week in Yakutat - Bob Miller

June 23rd,  2011

Over the past week,  six Yakutat residents have died.  Cecilia Mapes (86) on June 14th and Barbara Mapes (56) on June 16th both passed away from natural causes.  Rex Newlun (17) and Wayne Gray (29) passed following the boating accident on the Dangerous River on June 20th.  We just learned that two other male former Yakutat Residents have died as well,  one in Anchorage and another in Fairbanks.  The Fairbanks death is considered a suicide and since I do not have full details on the situation of either of these,  I will not release the names here at this time.

The Yakutat Clinic will be having grief counseling throughout this week in the evenings.  Please contact the clinic if you have any questions,  or would like to make an appointment.  Services for Ces and Barbie will be held this Saturday June 25th.  I do not know when the other memorial services will be held.

Young Fishermen Die on Dangerous River (Revised) - Bob Miller

June 21st,  2011

Updated @4pm June 21st:  Names have officially been released.  Wayne Gray (29 yo) and Rex Newlun (17 yo).  Jonathan Pavlik survived the ordeal.  

Three local fishermen ran into trouble Monday morning at the Dangerous River.  Two drowned,  a third was flown out to the hospital in Sitka last night.  While commercial fishing,  the three were heading back to Yakutat when a wave swamped the skiff they were in at around 11am Monday.  A second wave capsized the boat.  The two men lost had flotation devices and were on the hull of the upturned boat.  At some point,  two of the men decided to try to swim to shore.  At around 4pm,  Les Hartley of Alsek Air Service spotted the man on the boat and help was able to get out and rescue him from the Situk River.  The other two men never reached the shore.

Ocean temperature is 55.6 degrees F,  however the water in the glacially fed Dangerous River is generally in the low to mid 30's.  Survival at these temperatures is measured in under 10 minutes.  Outgoing tidal flow can be extremely strong,  with unpredictable wave development.  Low tide yesterday occurred at 11:01am,  creating shallow water across the outer bar of the river mouth and maximum wave development at the time of the accident.

At last report,  the police were still officially withholding the names of the deceased,  so I will here as well.  The men involved are some of Yakutat's most responsible,  experienced and respected young men and this tragedy is hitting our community very hard.  Consider sending your respects through Lakeside Chapel Assembly of God,  or the LDS church here in Yakutat.

Note:  Secon knocked the phones out this morning,  therefore additional information was not verifiable at this point.

Anchorage Daily News report:
http://www.adn.com/2011/06/21/1928014/2-dead-1-rescued-after-fishing.html

More links,  not all the info is accurate:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43481465/ns/local_news-anchorage_ak/

http://kfsk.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=sideBlock&syndicated=true&ID=1862

http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-two-die-when-yakutat-boat-capsizes-062111,0,939548.story

Secon Construction Begins Yakutat Road Resurfacing Project - Bob Miller

June 20th,  2011

A major $5 million road improvement project began in earnest in Yakutat today.  Secon Construction began work removing old asphalt between Ophir Creek Bridge and the Yakutat Airport.  The entire paved road surface from the airport to the harbor dock will be removed,  recycled and repaved throughout the summer,  followed by paving of Max Italio Drive (formerly Bayview Drive) and several side streets.  Expect delays and difficulties getting around town from now till October as the project progresses.

Simms Out-Of-The-Dark Promotion Winners Announced
-Bob Miller

June 20th,  2011

The winners of the Simms Out-Of-The-Dark promotion for 2011 were announced today:

Grand Prize
G4 River Package (G4 Pro Waders, G4 Guide Boots & G4 Pro Jacket) ($1229.85 value)
Three Rivers Fly & Tackle, Clyde Broumley

Second Prize
Layering Package (Simms Guide Fleece Top, Guide Fleece Pant, Guide Fleece Bib, Simms Exstream Socks) ($344.80 value)
Mt. View Sports. Eric Goosman

Third Prize
Around Town Package (Simms Rogue Fleece Hoody, Simms Cascadia Ball Cap) ($109.90 value)
Situk River Fly Shop, Jim Shew

4th-10th Place Finishers
Simms Hat & Accessory Package ($19.95-$29.95)

4th Mossy’s Fly Shop, Brad Beiser

5th Mt. View Sports, Keith Wagoner

6th Juneau Fly Fishing Goods, Robert Josh Keaton

7th Juneau Fly Fishing Goods, Dave Lustyitz

8th World Wide Angler, Scott Lyke

9th Mossy’s Fly Shop, Shawn Woodmansee

10th World Wide Angler, James Christmas

If you are one of the lucky drawing winners,  contact your shop.

Yakutat Dungeness Crab Fishery Announcement
Season to Remain Closed:  ADF&G Office - Douglas,  AK

June 14th,  2011

Juneau...  The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reminds fishermen that the commercial fishery for Dungeness crab in Registration Area D (Yakutat) will remain closed for both summer and fall portions of the 2011/12 fishing season.  The fishery has been closed for the past eleven seasons since being designated as collapsed and recovering by the Board of Fisheries at their January 2000 meeting.  A survey of Yakutat Dungeness stock conducted in May 2004 showed no signs of stock recovery.  Following this survey the Yakutat sport and personal use Dungeness fisheries were also closed in the fall of 2004.  The department is currently planning to resurvey the Yakutat Dungeness stock in June of 2012.

High fashion or bait? Fly ties now hair extensions - Associated Press

By JESSIE L. BONNER , 06.03.11, 06:35 AM EDT

Anchorage Daily News

Sealaska land deal hearing in Congress this week

CONGRESS: Tongass selection plan battle has gone on for years.

By ERIKA BOLSTAD
ebolstad@adn.com

Published: May 22nd, 2011 10:39 PM
Last Modified: May 22nd, 2011 10:46 PM

WASHINGTON -- For decades, conservationists, the U.S. Forest Service, tribes, Native corporations and the people who live in the Tongass National Forest have warred over how to manage the vast temperate rain forest covering most of Southeast Alaska.

The fight resurfaces in Washington this week, as the Sealaska Native Corp. makes a case to a Senate committee that it should be able to pick as much as 85,000 acres outside of its original land grants in the forest.

The company's picks are controversial, in part because they include valuable old growth timber that many would like to see off-limits to logging. Some local groups, including the Craig Tribal Association, also have concerns about how Sealaska plans to address important cultural locations in the acres the company wants, including places that are part of their ancestral history.

But Sealaska argues it has sought for decades to assume ownership of all the acreage it was granted under 1971's Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the landmark legislation that settled aboriginal land claims by the state's Native people.

The company has turned its attention to Congress, which must approve the Native corporation's proposal to choose land outside of the original and amended "boxes" they picked in the early 1970s.  ****READ MORE****

May 22nd,  2011
No major Yakutat news at the monent,  so here is an "entertaining" read.  I'm tired of having the snarky article about Yakutat's silly politics on top,  so I'm posting this from www.reason.com...  This has nothing to do with fishing,  but a lot to do with Yakutat and the rest of America...  As a conservative,  not many news and information sites write with my common sense perspective - including supposed right-wing sources like "The Weekly Standard" - a joke in and of itself.  I'm warming to "Reason Magazine" though (according to Tanis,  you put magazine titles in quotes,  but underline book titles).  Here is a sample:

Dear Congress, Your Credit Application Has Been Turned Down

Why should the American people keep extending credit to Capitol Hill?

A. Barton Hinkle | May 20, 2011

The Honorable _________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable _________
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Mr. or Ms. _______,

Thank you for your interest in the American Public Trust's Gold Card credit program. Rest assured your application has been given thorough and careful consideration by the American people.

After reviewing the information provided in your application as well as your credit report, we regret to say that we are unable to extend you further credit at this time. The reasons for our decision are as follows:

(1) Inadequate income.Our records indicate that your annual income for the 2011 taxable year was $2,170,000,000,000. You have requested a credit limit of $17,000,000,000,000. These figures exceed the American Public's debt-to-income guidelines for credit issuance.

(2) Excessive spending. The receipts you provided indicate your annual expenditures for the 2011 fiscal year total $3,820,000,000,000, or $1,650,000,000,000 more than your total income for the year. The American Public prefers that its members of Congress maintain a positive or neutral rather than a negative cash flow.

(3) High debt utilization. Your credit report indicates that you have a credit limit of $14,300,000,000,000, and of that amount you have utilized $14,300,000,000,000, for a debt utilization ratio of 100 percent. Consumer banking industry guidelines recommend a debt utilization ratio of no greater than 30 percent for standard creditworthiness, and 10 percent for exemplary creditworthiness. A debt utilization rate of 100 percent meets our classification of "You're *&^%$#@! kidding, right?"

(4) High credit activity. Our records indicate you have credit accounts open with the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, the Social Security Administration, the People's Bank of China, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Bank of the Republic of Burundi, Bank Frick & Co. AG Liechtensteiner Privatbank, Quik-Cash Loans, Three Gold Balls Pawn Shop (Ann Arbor, Mich.), MyFast Loan.com (Antigua), paydayloans-r-us.com (Cayman Islands), Frank the bartender (Old Towne Tavern), and several members of the extended family of Salvatore "Sammy Meatballs" Montigliano of Montclair, N.J. While account activity threshholds vary by lender, your activity exceeds American Public guidelines for further credit issuance.

(5) Multiple recent credit inquiries. Records indicate your credit report has been accessed more than 6,437 times in the past 60 days. Inquiries may be triggered by applications for credit, employment or both and represent one factor in determining an applicant's loan risk to a credit issuer. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as amended, requires businesses to have legitimate grounds for requesting your credit history. If you feel your credit information is inaccurate or has been accessed for unacceptable reasons, you may wish to contact the Federal Trade Commission...  ****READ MORE****

*****Bob's Comment about this article*****
This has to be the most poorly written "professional" news article I have ever read.  The headline is redundant enough,  the body of the article isn't any better...

Standing at the Yakutat Post Office counter last week, resident Rube Evans was hoping to read some mail other than his wife’s Chinese newspapers and was pleasantly surprised to find an envelope with his name on it.

“I would never make it through one of those newspapers,” Evans said. “They have some nice photos but, unless my wife reads them to me, they are gibberish.”

Unfortunately for Evans he would never make it through the letter, either, as postal clerk Jenn Bell asked to have it back.

It was part of a stack of envelopes which the postal clerk said were not properly addressed, and were supposed to be sent to a mail recovery center in Georgia.

Inside the envelopes were various court documents pertaining to a Superior Court case in Juneau May 11 between the City and Borough of Yakutat and Alaskan Adventure Tours, Inc., and a letter claiming to be from a concerned citizen of Yakutat who stated he or she was following the case...  *****READ MORE*****

http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-05-09/yakutat-postal-clerks-stop-delivery-anonymous-letters-containing-allegations

Hunting and Fishing News

The map to the shop:

Or in white:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game
NEWS RELEASES and EMERGENCY ORDERS Page.
Click HERE!

ADFG Weir Counts Page.
Click HERE!