September has been a busy month! Following on the very successful Assembly and Board of Governors meeting in Walla Walla in August, the pace of activities has continued strong this month. On Friday September 9^th, I flew to Juneau, Alaska to participate in the events hosted by the Alaska Section surrounding the dedication of Salmon Creek Dam, as an ASCE National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (NHCEL). The dam was constructed in 1914 and the world’s first constant-angle thin shell arch concrete dam.

Salmon Creek Dam – Now an ASCE NHCEL

The dedication ceremony was originally scheduled to have been held in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with those plans, and the event had to be postponed to this year. The dedication ceremony, which was coordinated jointly by the Alaska Section and the Juneau Branch, took place on Saturday, September 10^th in the Juneau – Douglas Museum. About 50 people attended the event, which was prominently featured in the Juneau Empire local newspaper. Many members of the Alaska Section and Juneau Branch helped make this event a huge success. Key among these were former Region 8 Governor Greg Kinney, who developed the NHCEL nomination application package, David Gamez, past President of the Alaska Section, and Justin Kanouse, outgoing President of the Alaska Section. Also helping with this event were Alaska Section members Alison Sacks, Alec Mesdag, Doug Simon, and incoming Alaska Section President Jennifer Meyer. I delivered remarks about the significance of ASCE’s National Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks program on the behalf of Region 8 and Society President Dennis Truax, who had to cancel his original plans to attend the event due to a scheduling conflict. The Salmon Creek Dam NHCEL plaque dedication event concluded with a barbeque dinner that evening on Douglas Island hosted by the Juneau Branch.  

Thanks, again, to everyone in the Alaska Section who helped make this a great event! The Alaska Section really showed that they know how to organize and plan a major event like this. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who was involved!

The post-Assembly Region 8 tour group stopped by the Mullan Road historic site enroute to the Pepper Bridge Winery

Hikers at the start of their hike to the Salmon Creek Dam

Before the NHCEL plaque dedication ceremony in Juneau. A group of us decided to brave the uncertain weather forecast and hike the 3.4 miles up the Salmon Creek valley to visit the dam in person. The 1000 feet of elevation gain made the hike a bit of a workout, but it was well worth the effort!

The Salmon Creek Dam NHCEL Plaque

Following the festivities in Juneau, I accompanied the Alaska Section leadership group the next morning on the short flight down to Sitka, the former territorial capital of Russian Alaska, and participated with them in the dedication of an Alaska Historic Civil Engineering Landmark plaque for the O’Connell Bridge, which just turned 50 years old and is the first example of a cable-stayed bridge in the state. This project was originally nominated by the Alaska Section for a NHCEL, but the Society’s History & Heritage Committee felt that it didn’t quite meet the intentionally high bar for the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark designation, since it was not the first bridge of this type in the United States. The Alaska Section then decided to use their discretion (rightly, in my opinion) and chose to designate the bridge as a state Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, which is also a significant honor and distinction in its own right.

The 50-year-old O’Connell cable-stayed bridge in Sitka, Alaska

This event was also well-attended by several state and local government officials and members of the public - even though two enormous cruise ships were in port at the same time. Alaska Section Past President David Gamez served as the Master of Ceremonies for this event and did a fine job of explaining the significance of the SHCEL designation by the Alaska Section. David also introduced several speakers who spoke to the importance of the bridge to the community today, and what the town was like “in the old days” before it was built.

While the O’Connell Bridge did not qualify as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, it certainly transformed the City of Sitka economically by providing a permanent link between the center of town and Japonski Island, where the airport and a Coast Guard base are located. Before the bridge opened, travel between the island and the town was by a small ferry service operating on 30-minute intervals.

Alaska Section Past President Davis Gamez unveiling the State Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Plaque on the O’Connell cable-stayed bridge in Sitka

Rounding out my activities this month on behalf of Region 8, on Thursday, September 15^th, I attended the Oregon Section’s annual Leadership transition meeting at the Top Wire Hop Project venue in Woodburn, Oregon, located about 20 miles south of Portland on a commercial hops farm. This event was organized by outgoing Oregon Section President Jamestaun Kraupp. I was able to participate in this event by handing out plaques to the recipients of the Government Engineer of the Year Award: Evan Kristof, who is the faculty student advisor and an instructor for Portland State University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering program, the Young Engineer of the Year Award recipient: Jamestaun Kraupp, the outgoing President of the Oregon Section, and the Engineer of the Year Award recipient: Josh Goodall of the Capital Branch. Congratulations to all the award recipients! Through your efforts, the Oregon Section has remained strong through the travails of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Larry Magura

Director

ASCE Region 8

Region 8 has a new Facebook page, we can't wait for you to join us! Please like and share www.facebook.com/asceregion8.

Congratulations to ASCE’s Juneau Branch, Alaska Section, for receiving the ASCE Region 8 Award for 2022 Project of the Year Less Than $10 Million. Project nominees in the category included:

• Don D. Stratter Harbor Improvements – Alaska Section
• Arizona Water Company’s Moggollon Wall 5 Arsenic Removal Facility – Arizona Section
• Eagle Road and Amity Road Roundabout Improvements – Southern Idaho Section

The ASCE Juneau Branch is within the Alaska Section and represents ASCE members from the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska. The capital of Alaska. What you may not know is that Juneau is an island off of Alaska’s Southeast region coast. Along with being Alaska’s state capital, Juneau is headquarters to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). 

Typically taking summers off (June, July, August), Juneau Branch will play host to the ASCE Alaska Section Historic Landmark Dedication Ceremony for the Salmon Creek Dam in Juneau, and the O’Connell Bridge in Sitka, Alaska. ASCE current and past leadership, along with members, from across all ASCE Alaska Section branches: Anchorage Branch, Mat-Su Branch, Fairbanks Branch, Ketchikan Branch, and Juneau Branch, and the state will be in attendance for the celebration. The Juneau Branch and Alaska Section leadership have been hard at work to prepare for the big event to be held Sep 10-11, 2022 in Juneau and Sitka. If you’d like further information on the event and would like to attend, please contact David Gamez at [email protected]. 

Student Chapter Success in the PNW Regional and ASCE-AISC National Steel Bridge Competitions

Alaska Section includes two student chapters: University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA ASCE Student Chapter) and University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF ASCE Student Chapter. Both student engineering chapters are very active on their respective campuses, offering their student members opportunities to meet with other engineering students, participate in competitions, such as the UAF Ice Arch Competition, ASCE’s Concrete Canoe, and AISC Steel Bridge Competitions, along with national ASCE student conferences, and local campus events. community outreach, and mentorship programs, working closely with their local professional ASCE branches. 

This year, both UAF and UAA student chapters qualified for the AISC-ASCE National Student Steel Bridge Competition held in Blacksburg, Virginia in May. Overall, out of 34 teams across the country, UAF finished with an impressive 2^nd place finish, and UAA finished with a respectable 16^th place. For the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Symposium Steel Bridge Qualifier held virtually, UAF placed FIRST, and UAA placed SECOND. Incredible results for our ASCE student chapters!

Submitted by Virginia J. Groeschel, Region 8 Governor, Alaska Section

Juneau Branch

Congratulations for an awesome event, Juneau Branch and Alaska Section. Fri. 9/9-9/11/22 ASCE History and Heritage Dedication Recognition for Juneau's Salmon Creek Dam and Sitka's O'Connell Bridge were well executed and well planned, along with the Juneau Branch's BBQ on Friday Night. Thank you for your amazing hospitality Juneau Branch and Alaska Section leadership and Committee Chairs who worked tirelessly on this dedication, years in the making. 

Held at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, the venue was the perfect backdrop to ASCE Juneau Branch and Alaska Section's presentation and recognition of the Salmon Creek Dam as ASCE's National Historic Engineering Landmark.

David Gamez, ASCE Past Section President MC'd the event, introducing guest speakers.

Greg Kinney, ASCE Alaska Section Committee Co-Chair, presenting on the Salmon Creek Dam history and rich heritage in Juneau.

Larry Magura, ASCE Region 8 Director, speaking to the ASCE History and Heritage Committee at the Society level.

Mrs. Gaye Willis spoke to the dedication of her late husband and ASCE Past Section President, in bringing to the ASCE engineering spotlight, both the Salmon Creek Dam and Sitka, Alaska's O'Connell Bridge, also dedicated as an ASCE National Historical Engineering Landmark. Scott Willis was instrumental in researching both engineering landmarks before his passing. He was a well respected engineer and ASCE leader, who will be keenly missed in the Alaska Section.

Mr. Alec Mesdag of Alaska Electric Light & Power (AEL&P) Company in Juneau, spoke to the ownership and stewardship of the Salmon Creek Dam into the future.

Ms. Elizabeth Djajalie, guest high school student singer to start the event with our National Anthem, and close the ceremony with the Alaska Flag song. 

This event could not have been as successful without the tireless efforts of the ASCE Juneau Branch leadership and membership. Their hospitality was kindly appreciated.

An article was written in the local Juneau Empire on the event: 

https://www.juneauempire.com/news/salmon-creek-dam-recognized-as-a-national-historic-civil-engineering-landmark/

• October 22 - 23, 2022: Board of Direction Meeting at Disneyland Hotel before National Convention, Anaheim, CA
• October 23 – 26, 2022: National Convention, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, CA
• February 15, 2023: Region 8 Board of Governors Meeting, Anaheim, CA
• February 16, 2023: Region 8 Assembly meeting, Anaheim, CA
• February 17 – 18, 2023: Regions 8 – 9 Multi-Region Leadership Conference (MRLC) Doubletree Hotel, Anaheim, CA
• March 1 – 3, 2023: Legislative Fly-in, Washington, D.C.
• March 4 – 5, 2023: Board of Direction Meeting, Washington, D.C. (or Reston, VA)