MAT-SU—In early August, one man near Sutton lost part of his house to the scouring Matanuska River. By mid-August, immediate concerns moved downstream near Butte where a revetment near Ye Old River Road began washing away, exposing low-lying areas to seepage.

Some residents hope for 100s of truckloads of big rock to keep the water from chewing off more of the riverbank.

“That may sound like a good idea but the Borough can’t do it,” said Matanuska-Susitna Borough Deputy Mayor Lynne Woods.