Local work on the Kenai River Bluff Stabilization Project began earlier this month. Starting May 16, two large barges arrived in the Kenai River, bringing cranes and equipment as well as a large pile of rocks sourced from Sand Point in the Aleutians.

At a community meeting in April, project leads said constant work would be underway seven days a week through the project’s estimated completion in October. Crews from Western Marine Construction will construct the roughly 5,000-foot-long berm from the mouth of the Kenai River to near the city dock, at the bluff’s toe, to catch falling sediment. Over time, the berm is intended to stabilize erosion and allow vegetation to grow on the bluff’s face.

The bluff has been eroding at a rate of around 3 feet per year.

There will be two barges constantly cycling, one offloading rock for construction as the other is bringing back another load, the leads said, though an update published to the City of Kenai’s website on May 23 says that the second barge and the second load of rock “has been delayed and timeline is currently unknown.”

The second barge had originally been expected to arrive on May 24, but as of Tuesday evening no further updates have been published. On Tuesday, a large barge carrying excavators, a forklift and a crane could be seen sitting just off the bank of the river, next to the first large pile of stone.

When constructing the revetment, excavators will dig 4-feet deep on the bank of the river, during low tide, and the wall will be anchored into that space and stretch around 22 feet above the water. The wall will be the same height across its full length, but the thickness of the wall will differ to meet the depths and conditions experienced along its path.

Multiple members of the Kenai City Council said during their May 21 meeting they were excited to see work begin on the project. They described watching the barges enter the river and taking pictures of the start of work.

The effort has been imagined for decades, Vice Mayor Henry Knackstedt said.

“It’s happening.”

Updates on the project will be posted to the “Kenai Bluffs Bank Stabilization Project” page on the City of Kenai website. It can be found from the menu at kenai.city/publicworks.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

The barge, crane, and first pile of rock for the Kenai Bluff Stabilization Project is seen during a break in work at the bank of the Kenai River in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)