STAR VALLEY, WYO – Local citizens are divided on how they feel the Forest Service has handled the Porcupine Creek landslide to date, specifically concerning the closure of the 17-mile stretch of Greys River Road from Alpine to the incident. A recent public meeting in Alpine elicited a wide range of opinions.
Some outdoorsmen and businesses are already feeling the effects of the closure in a tightknit community that relies heavily on outdoor recreational opportunities in the popular drainage—both economically and socially.
One side of the argument holds the Forest Service is being overly cautious and a full closure is not necessary at this point. Others understand the need for public safety and welfare, and say Forest officials should be allowed to do their job. The slide has run across the river and backed up its flow considerably. Should the earthen dam give way, several bridges and other infrastructure could be in jeopardy.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest will hold a public meeting providing information on the Porcupine landslide this Friday, April 13, from 5-7:00pm, at the Alpine Civic Center located at 121 US 89, in Alpine, Wyoming.
The landslide occurred on February 8, 2018. The quarter-mile long landslide has buckled the road and created large crevices and undulations. It has constricted portions of the Wild and Scenic eligible Greys River where the earthen debris has dammed the river and is backing up water in the flood plain.
According to the Bridger-Teton, the river has recently carved a new channel. It is uncertain how long the natural debris dam will hold before breaking and sending a wave of water through the river corridor, flooding the area and damaging at some level a minimum of five bridges.
