Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Water Resources Section
3700 Airport Way
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-4699
(907) 451-2793 or (907) 451-2790 Phone Numbers
(907) 451-2703 Fax Number
Online Public Notice Link:
https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=208719
PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATIONS FOR WATER RIGHTS
Pursuant to Alaska Statue (AS) 46.15 and rules and regulations (11 Alaska Administrative Code [AAC] 93) promulgated thereunder, public notice is hereby given that five (5) Applications for Water Rights for South and Middle Forks of Red Dog Creek, the Red Dog Creek Tailings Pond, and Seepage Collection Systems on both the Kivalina Overburden Stockpile and the Tailings Back Dam have been received from Teck Alaska Incorporated (Teck), 2525 C Street, Suite 310, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. The applications were reviewed for accuracy and completeness and case files for these requested water uses have been created.
Assigned Case Files:
LAS 33141 for South Fork Red Dog Creek and Tailings Pond
LAS 33147 for Middle Fork Red Dog Creek Drainage Basin
LAS 33149 for Tailings Back Dam and Kivalina Overburden Stockpile Seepage Collection System
LAS 33151 for South Fork Red Dog Creek Bypass
LAS 33638 for Middle Fork Red Dog Creek Bypass
Priority Dates for Applications for Water Rights:
Applications LAS 33141, 33147, 33149, and 33151 have a priority date of January 30, 2020. Application LAS 33638 has a priority date of April 22, 2021.
Land Ownership and Areas of Appurtenance:
The area where water use is required is for the Red Dog Mine facility. Red Dog Mine operates most of its mining facilities on private tribal lands that are owned by the NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. (NANA). The Red Dog Mine also has facilities located on State of Alaska lands that are mainly support facilities, rather than active mine workings. Red Dog Mine is a joint venture between NANA and Teck, whereby Teck is the mine operator and NANA is the landowner. State land uses that are required for operations are negotiated via the joint venture of NANA, Teck, and the State of Alaska.
Legal Description of Requested Water Sources:
These water rights are being requested for metal mining and for environmental quality control of water sources within the mine. Water uses requested are for water withdrawals, water diversions, and water impoundment. There is a total of five (5) sources of water being requested for authorization.
Case file LAS 33141: South Fork Red Dog Creek and tailings pond is for year-round water withdrawals and impoundment totaling 93,419 acre-feet per year (afy). The source of water is precipitation within the mine areas (mine contact water) and the tailings impoundment (impoundment and withdrawals), located within Sections 24, 25, and 36, Township 31 North, Range 19 West, and Sections 19, 20, 29, 31, and 32, Township 31 North, Range 18 West, Kateel River Meridian.
Case file LAS 33147: Middle Fork Red Dog Creek Drainage Basin is for year-round water withdrawals and impoundment of 45,592 afy. The source of water is mine contact water that gets diverted and stored in previously worked mine pits located within Sections 16, 17, 19-21, and 29, Township 31 North, Range 18 West, Kateel River Meridian.
Case file LAS 33149: Tailings Back Dam and Kivalina Overburden Stockpile Seepage Collection System is for year-round water withdrawals of 5,140 afy. The source of water is seepage collection and mine contact water located within Sections 30 and 31, Township 31 North, Range 18 West, Kateel River Meridian.
Case file LAS 33151: South Fork Red Dog Creek Bypass is for year-round water diversion via bypass pipeline of 1,180 afy or 100 percent of flows. The source of water originates from two tributaries that are intercepted (diversion structures are not constructed within these tributaries but collected where they intercept South Fork Red Dog Creek) located within Sections 29, 31, and 32, Township 31 North, Range 18 West, Kateel River Meridian.
Case file LAS 33638: Middle Fork Red Dog Creek Bypass is for year-round water diversion of 8,204 afy. The source of water is water collected up stream of the Red Dog Mine active mining areas. This water is collected to avoid generating mine contact water. The collected water is located within Sections 15-22, 27-29, 32, and 33, Township 31 North, Range 18 West, Kateel River Meridian.
Per AS 46.15.133 (a), within 15 days of publication or service of notice, persons may file with the director written objections, stating the name and address of the objector, and any facts tending to show that rights of the objector or the public interest would be adversely affected by the proposed sale, appropriation, or removal.
The public is invited to comment on these actions. For further information on the subject, please contact Kindra Geis at kindra.geis@alaska.gov or Jenny March at jenny.march@alaska.gov or at the above address or telephone number. The Water Resources Section must receive comments in writing by 5:00 p.m., Friday November 25, 2022, at the above addresses to be considered. If issued, a permit may be extended for good cause shown, pursuant to AS 46.15.110 and 11 AAC 93.120(f), without additional public notice.
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The state is prepared to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing auxiliary aids when requested. Individuals with audio impairments who wish to respond to this notice by telephone may call the Department’s Public Information Center between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., M-F at TDD # 1-800-770-8973.
The Department of Natural Resources reserves the right to waive technical defects in this publication.
Publication date in The Arctic Sounder: November 10, 2022.