Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into navigable waters, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977 (PL95-217), also must apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws.

Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ PN Reference Number indicated above has been received for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at http://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.

To comment on the project or request for a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site at https://water.alaskadec.commentinput.com/?id=VWKPM on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant:      Alaska DOT&PF, Brett Nelson, 2301 Peger Road Fairbanks, AK 99709; (907) 451-2238; brett.nelson@alaska.gov.

Project Name: Nenana-Totchaket Road

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 14, 18, 23, T4S, R10W; Fairbanks Meridian; in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. Project Site: Latitude 64.57553º N, Longitude -149.49913º W. 

Additional possible discharges to occur at the end of existing Totchaket Road to EOP: 64.575289, -149.496644,; Little Nenana River Bridge 64.558481, -149.126611; West Middle River Bridge 64.560270, -149.217291; East Middle River Bridge 64.560352, -149.185512,; Unnamed Stream, proposed armored high-water crossing 64.571990, -149.261811; Fill needed to rehab road. 64.574793, -149.377309.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to address the need of a reliable route to the valley west of the City of Nenana. Access to the area is currently limited to approximately 12.1 miles of one-lane dirt road that is experiencing degradation due to springtime snow melt. The existing road also includes three bridges that require replacement. Extending west from the current road, access is only feasible by an All-terrain vehicle or snowmachine in the winter via a cleared line that extends to the Kantishna River floodplain. This portion of access is maintained by individuals who frequent the trail. This project will improve accessibility to the area west of the City of Nenana. Increased accessibility will facilitate development of agriculture plots being auctioned as part of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Nenana-Totchaket Agriculture Project, the Kantishna River, and the western portion of the Tanana Valley State Forest for landowners, hunters, fishers, and recreational users.

Project Description: The DOT&PF is proposing to construct the Nenana-Totchaket Road from the Nenana River to the Kantishna River. Project will include improving approximately 12 miles of existing road and constructing 20 miles of new road. The proposed Nenana-Totchaket Road Project is entirely State funded.

Existing Road: The existing approximately 12.1 mile roadway (Totchaket Road) would undergo re-leveling in areas that have experienced settling, flattening of embankment side slopes, installation of new surface course, clearing of vegetation at slope toes, replacement of three bridge crossings (East Middle, West Middle, and Little Nenana Rivers), construction of an armored high water crossing in a seasonal flood area, and some drainage improvements including culvert replacement and ditch work. Existing turnouts would also be improved, and new turnouts may be constructed as needed to support hauling materials during construction. No realignment of the existing roadway is proposed. There are several existing material sites along the existing road which may be further utilized and expanded, exclusively within upland areas.

Road Extension: Approximately 19 miles of new road would be constructed beginning at the end of the existing Totchaket Road, extending westerly towards the Kantishna River. The road would be constructed with an average top width of 18 foot with 3:1 side slopes and an average embankment thickness of 4 foot. Turnouts would be constructed at variable locations along the alignment to support construction at an average frequency of five per mile. Turnouts are anticipated to be limited to no more than 100 foot long and 12 foot wide and would be constructed in upland areas where practicable. The first 15.7 miles of new road extension would be built within the City of Nenana’s existing 500-foot wide right-of-way (ROW) easement, traversing relatively flat land primarily composed of sandy soils. Sections requiring road cuts would be constructed with a 4:1 or shallower backslope down to an approximately 10 foot wide ditch. A new ROW would be required for the remaining 3.3 miles of proposed road. This westernmost section of proposed road extension would alter course, taking on a northwesterly bearing, gradually descending approximately 3.3 miles across a ridgeline to the Kantishna River floodplain. The road would then terminate near the Kantishna River at a proposed boat launch area.

Water Crossings: Three bridges along the existing section of Totchaket Road are proposed to be replaced, crossing the Little Nenana River, the East Middle River and the West Middle River, all three of which are 80 foot in length and 4.3 foot wide. All three bridges are proposed to be replaced longer than the existing bridges, spanning the entire channel at ordinary high water, reducing channel constriction and flow velocity. The Little Nenana River bridge is anticipated to be 130 foot in length and 27 foot wide while the East and West Middle River bridges are anticipated to be 100 foot in length and 27 foot wide. Adjacent upland areas may be utilized for equipment staging and temporary access to support erection of the bridges. The existing bridge abutments are rock gabions that have experienced degradation and settlement over the life of the current bridges. All bridge abutments would be re-constructed with riprap placed below the ordinary high-water mark (OHWM) and graded upward at a stable slope to mitigate erosion. No dredging within the river channels is anticipated. In addition to the replacement of the existing bridges, this project proposes to reconstruct a portion of road that experiences seasonal flooding. Further detail on this section of road can be found below in the Proposed Mitigation section. Locations of the water crossings can be found in Figures 2, 4, 5, & 7. Detailed profiles for each bridge can be found on Figures 62-64.

Culverts: There are approximately 30 culverts in place along the existing portion of Totchaket Road, all of which have been determined to be operational during a site visit on June 10, 2022, and all but one culvert are not proposed to be replaced (Figure 60). The one culvert proposed to be replaced is part of the section of road that experiences seasonal flooding. Approximately 10 new culverts are proposed along the existing road and approximately 43 culverts are proposed to be placed along the new road alignment (Figure 61). At this time no fish passage culverts are anticipated to be installed. Two 7-foot Enhanced Hydraulic Design (EHD) culverts are being considered for the aforementioned seasonally flooded section of road.

Material Sites: Two material sites are anticipated to be developed for this project, both of which are located adjacent to the proposed road extension area. Alaska DOT&PF applied to establish the sites through Alaska DNR on May 22, 2022. The applications went to public notice on July 26, 2022. In addition to these two sites, there are established commercially available sites along Totchaket Road and in the Nenana River that may be used by the contractor. Locations of material sites and a typical cross section of the sites proposed for development can be found on Figures 1-1 – 1-7. The proposed project is anticipated to permanently impact approximately 12.88 acres of waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) via the discharge of approximately 83,120 cubic yards of fill within different wetlands and river channels as part of its construction. Permanent fill is proposed for the following project components:

• Addition of material to existing road embankments that have settled; and
• Construction of turnouts to facilitate material hauling; and
• Replacement of three existing bridges over Little Nenana River, East Middle River, and West Middle River; and
• Construction of additional culverts and a high-water crossing on a section of existing road within a seasonally flooded area; and
• Construction of 15.7 miles of new road extension within the established City of Nenana ROW easement. This first 15.7 miles of proposed new road primarily traverses over upland areas with short segments of wetlands within the existing ROW; and
• Construction of 3.3 miles of additional road extension to the Kantishna River (Alternative #2).

  A total approximately 10.04 acres of temporary impacts to wetlands are anticipated from the proposed project.

  Project actions that will result in temporary impacts to wetlands include:

• Temporary work areas associated with replacement of three bridge crossings (0.2 acres); and
• Temporary work areas around new and replacement culverts (0.93 acres); and
• In wetland areas, a temporary work zone will be established with an average of 10 foot on either side of the toe of embankment. This temporary work zone will not exceed a total width of 20 foot within any section of road (8.91 acres).

Temporary work areas associated with the replacement of bridges may include the installation of temporary bridge crossings and approach roads at the discretion of the contractor. The areas adjacent to the three bridges to be replaced are primarily uplands. Installation of temporary bridges/approach roads would result in approximately 0.2 acres of temporary impacts. All fills associated with temporary bridges will be remove prior to completion of construction. Implementation of temporary bridges would be coordinated with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and the appropriate permits would be obtained prior to construction. A 25-foot vegetative buffer beyond temporary work zones will be established in wetland areas along the length of the existing and proposed roads in wetland areas. Temporary fills in wetlands will be removed in their entirety upon completion of project construction.

After reviewing the application, the Department may certify there is reasonable assurance the activity, and any discharge that might result, will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. For inquires or to request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov, or call 907-269-6285.

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice

The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Jason Burnett at 907-269-3056 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 prior to the expiration date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.