Project Overview
Climate change over the past decade has accelerated erosion, flooding, and permafrost thaw in The Village of Chefornak (Cevv’arneq), a Yup’ik village of about 500 people on the Kinia (Ursukvaak) River in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The Chefornak Traditional Council hired PND to seek solutions for infrastructure protection and retreat planning.
PND worked with the community to develop protection measures against erosion and flooding, village-managed retreat plans, and designs to replace or relocate now-unusable buildings and waterfront facilities, including its barge landing.
Our Role
- Geotechnical Engineering: conducted permafrost analysis and investigations
- Hydrology/Hydraulics: assessed shoreline erosion and flood risks
- Structural Engineering: performed structural evaluations for relocation options
- Civil Engineering: developed plans for erosion protection and new housing subdivisions
Technical Beginnings to a Blueprint for Climate Change Response
PND’s geotechnical team examined permafrost conditions in Chefornak with detailed studies of thawing patterns along the river and subsurface condition evaluations. The in-depth permafrost analysis of current conditions and projected environmental changes informed PND’s resilient structural designs.
PND’s hydrologic and metocean teams investigated causes of shoreline erosion, estimated potential flood risks, and identified erosion hot spots. By installing automated weather stations, the team was able to estimate extreme weather events. Using structural evaluations, the team identified whether existing structures threatened by erosion and settlement could be relocated.
Technical analyses are the foundation for infrastructure protection and managed retreat plans. PND’s blueprint can be applied to other Alaska Native communities confronting the impacts of climate change on their own villages.
Structures Assessed
PND assessed everything within the area’s floodplain
Home Relocations Planned
PND developed a multiphased strategy and plan for structure relocation
Relocation Sites Analyzed
PND identified potential sites for relocation, including benefits and cost analyses
