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Environment

Environmental stories that take place in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Bethel 4-H To Host Club At Cultural Center Due To Frozen Pipes At Youth Center

By • Jan 10, 2020

Frozen pipes have claimed another victim in Bethel: the 4-H Youth Center facility. In lieu of its building, 4-H will be hosting its afterschool club at the Bethel Cultural Center from Jan. 13-16. 

Crew Extends Ice Road To Kalskag, Warns Of Unmarked Road

By • Jan 10, 2020
Mark Leary and his ice road crew set out to plow the ice road on the morning of Jan. 6, 2020 and reached Kalskag at 7 p.m. of Jan. 7, 2020.
Mark Leary

The ice road has grown longer, thanks to Mark Leary and his ice road crew. The crew plowed the road all the way to Kalskag on Jan. 7. Leary said his crew experienced no issues while they plowed the 50 miles from Tuluksak to Kalskag in a wind chill of negative 45 degrees Fahrenheit. However, he recommends that drivers not use the new section of the ice road yet because of three unmarked open holes between Tuluksak and Kalskag.

Frozen Pipes In The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Means Going Back To Honey Buckets And Packing Water

By • Jan 8, 2020
Bethel resident, Renee Gregory, points at her pants stained from liquids that backed up into her bathtub after her drainage pipes froze last week.
Greg Kim / KYUK

Across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, temperatures have reached far below zero for weeks, freezing pipes in homes across the region. For many people, that means a return to a way life before running water and flush toilets. 


Donlin Gold Recieves More State Permits

By • Jan 8, 2020
The Donlin Gold mine could be one of the biggest mines if completed.
Dean Swope / KYUK

Donlin Gold received a handful of state permits on Jan. 2, 2020 that move the company closer to operating its gold mine in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, according to Alaska Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Saddler. 

Alaska Hovercraft Grades Ice Road Between Napaskiak and Kwethluk

By • Jan 7, 2020
Alaska Hovercraft's vehicle, the Pistenbully, was seen grading the frozen Kuskokwim River.
Bradon Brink

Drivers on the frozen Kuskokwim River may experience a smoother ride this winter. Alaska Hovercraft, a company that delivers mail, is using a new vehicle that it acquired last year. It goes by many names: Pistenbully, snow cat or groomer. It’s big, it's red, and it’s making it easier to drive on the river.

2019 Warmest Year On Record For Bethel

By • Jan 7, 2020
The Kuskokwim River near Bethel.
Krysti Shallenberger / KYUK

Temperatures in Bethel and the surrounding villages plunged below zero at the end of December and have stayed there, freezing pipes and backing up sewage. Despite the cold stretch that brought the year to an end, 2019 is the warmest year on record for Bethel. 


Search And Rescue Volunteers Adapt To Warmer Winters

By • Jan 7, 2020
Krysti Shallenberger / KYUK

In recent years, climate change has meant the ice necessary for the Ice Road forms later, breaks up earlier, and isn’t as thick. Travelers have died falling in the river or open holes. Now Search and Rescue volunteers in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta grapple with unpredictable river conditions.


Yukon Kuskokwim Fitness Center Closed Indefinitely Due To Cold Temperatures

By • Jan 2, 2020
The pool at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Fitness Center in Bethel.
Dean Swope/KYUK

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Fitness Center has been closed since Christmas. What started as a few frozen pipes has turned into a medley of mechanical problems, all triggered by the recent cold snap.


Wind Chill Advisory Issued For Kuskokwim Delta

By • Dec 30, 2019
National Weather Service screenshot from 3 p.m. Dec. 30, 2019 showing a wind chill advisory for the Kuskokwim Delta.

Time to bundle up. Severe wind chill is predicted for this evening and into the coming days. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for the Kuskokwim Delta, beginning Monday at 9 p.m. and lasting through noon on Wednesday, New Year's Day. The Weather Service predicts wind chill dropping to a low of 45 degrees below zero and sustained northerly winds of 15 to 35 miles per hours with even higher gusts. The strongest winds will blow along the coast.

As Donlin Nears End Of Permitting Process, Some Y-K Delta Tribes Are Organizing

By • Dec 17, 2019
Christine Trudeau / KYUK

For the last two decades, mining companies have been working to develop the massive Donlin Gold prospect in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. And most of that time, the development has claimed support from neighboring communities. But that’s changing as tribes, organizations, and communities have begun opposing the mine development and organizing. 


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