Environment

The river is so rough in the Upper Kuskokwim area that it is impassable to vehicle and snowmachine traffic. Big boulders of snow-covered ice are scattered across the river from Chuathbaluk and up. But Mark Leary, who works for the village of Napaimute, hopes to clear the river so that people can travel this week.

The final feasibility study detailing cleanup options for the contaminated Red Devil mercury mine site is out. The Bureau of Land Management plans to hold public meetings in the villages near the mine site to collect feedback about the remediation plans.

According to BLM spokesperson James Hart, BLM will open public comments on the plan for 60 days, beginning March 1 and ending April 30.

In the first of a two-part series, we explored the effects of warming river water on salmon. Now we take a look at the warming ocean, and what that means to the Yukon River king run.

Overflow is covering stretches of the Kuskokwim ice road between Napaskiak and Oscarville. Bethel Search and Rescue member Perry Barr discovered the water around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, while driving back to Bethel from the tundra villages. 

The state of Alaska approved a right-of-way lease for Donlin Gold’s proposed 315-mile gas pipeline on Jan. 17. The lease is an important step forward in the company’s quest to build the Donlin Gold Mine, which could be one of the largest in the world if completed.

Updated Jan. 28, 2020 4:30 p.m.: The National Weather Service has extended its wind chill advisory issued for the Kuskokwim Delta and Lower Kuskokwim River area to noon on Thursday, Jan. 30.