Historic Flood of 1967 Photos from        University of Alaska

The Chena River flows through Fairbanks and created one of Alaska's greatest natural disasters in August of 1967.The flood, as devastating as it was, did bring about change. Congress authorized the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project, which consists of four gates upstream from Fairbanks on the Chena River and an eight-mile dam with a 50-foot wall from the gate to the Tanana River. Now, on the few times when the city is threatened, those gates divert water from the city, helping ensure the risk of future flooding is minimal.