We woke up to snow yesterday. Fishing season is done. The good news is that crews are fixing Susitna Landing. This popular river access should be ready next summer.
The site sits where the Kashwitna River meets the Susitna. The project carries a $4.4 million price tag. The state shares the cost with the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program.
Construction started last month. The work will pause for the winter. Crews will resume in the spring. They will work through next summer.
They will replace the boat launch. The new two-lane floating dock will have wheelchair access. Crews will clear silt from the end of the dock. That silt makes launching difficult. Fish and Game plans a dredging strategy to keep the site usable.
Tracy Smith coordinates boating and angler access for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Her goal is getting people out on the water. However, nobody can control Mother Nature. She said, “We can control how we respond to what happens with siltations and getting that nice berm at the base of the boat launch.”
Along with the new dock, the campground will get 61 upgraded campsites. Sixteen will have electric hookups. Some sites will serve people with disabilities. The plan adds 31 parking spaces for boat trailers and 25 day-use parking spaces. It also adds 40 overflow spots for trailers.
Upgrades include three new vault toilets. Crews will upgrade electrical, wastewater and drainage systems. New culverts along the entrance road should ease breakup flooding. A new traffic pattern will cut congestion. It separates boaters from campers and day-use visitors.
The state bought the site in the 1980’s. Private concessionaires ran it until about 2020. The state manages it now. The upgrade plans grew out of nearly a decade of public surveys. Contractors drew up designs a couple years ago.
The site is closed. The boat launch basin and upstream shoreline will stay closed all winter. The site reopens for winter day use mid-November through April. It closes again in April to complete the upgrades. It will reopen when crews finish in mid-July.
The closure drew mixed reactions. Many users welcome the upgrades. Some moose hunters felt frustrated by the loss of river access this fall.
Crews have a short window to work. The department tries to balance the needes every user group.
Tim Blackmon coordinates access for Region 2 in the state. He notes that most users want this project. The upgrades will let staff focus on service instead of repairs.
“It’s nice to actually see it getting done,” Blackmon said.
This story was originally reported by Kyle Wilkinson in the Mat-Su Sentinel. AI was used to condense it for radio.
Back to the snow we woke up to. It raises an immediate question for many families: What about school?
The district tries to post its decision by 6 a.m. The status is all green.
Families can check the status of each school on the matsuk12.us/delaysandclosures. The district splits school closure notices into six regions.
The closure notices use green, yellow and red categories.
A delayed start means roads weren’t safe early in the morning but are expected to improve, so school begins late.
A transportation disruption means buses aren’t running because side roads aren’t safe, even though school may still be open.
A closure means no school and no buses, so check with your school about activities.
Watch for the call, text, or email, or check the district’s closure dashboard, the MSBSD app, or its social media pages.
It’s that time of year again. Give yourself extra time out there, watch for kids at bus stops, and drive safely.
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Emily Forsner reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.
Photo courtesy of Tracy Smith and the Mat Su Sentinel