Public Notice (PN) Date: September 20, 2023            PN Reference Number: POA-2023-00357 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: October 16, 2023                       Waterway: Lutak Inlet

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 https://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=67SCuKQFt on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Haines Borough, Annette Kreitzer, PO Box 1209 Haines, AK 99827; (907) 766-6404; akreitzer@haines.ak.us.

Project Name: Lutak Dock Replacement Project

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 10, T. 30S, R. 59E; Copper River Meridian; in Haines Borough, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude):  59.28287, -135.46754. With potential discharge location(s) as follows (Latitude, Longitude): eastern end of Lutak Dock -135.464176, 59.282164; western end of Lutak Dock -135.467403, 59.283056; drill cuttings from DTH drilling -135.465709, 59.282793; .

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to maintain existing freight and cargo capacities at Lutak Dock so the Haines area has reliable, safe, and economical barge service for the foreseeable future.

Project Description: The proposed project would include the following components in water and on land adjacent to Lutak Inlet and would include the following components below the High Tide Line (HTL; approximate elevation +21.2 feet above the 0.0 foot contour) and the mean high water (MHW; approximate elevation +15.78 feet above the 0.0 foot contour) line in waters of the United States, including navigable waters.

In-water construction components:

• Removal of twenty-four (24) 16-inch diameter piles associated with four existing mooring dolphins;
• Removal of one (1) 24-inch diameter pile;
• Installation and removal of forty-two (42) 36-inch diameter steel piles to guide permanent piles into place;
• Installation of one hundred eighty (180) 42-inch diameter steel piles;
• Installation of forty (40) 55.5-inch steel sheet piles as part of the combi wall; and
• Fill below high tide line (HTL): 53,310 square feet (sf) (1.2 acres); 21,666 cubic yards (cy)

Additional project components include:

• Installation of forty (40) 55.5-inch steel sheet piles to form the barge loading slip;
• Installation of twenty-three (23) 42-inch diameter steel batter piles;
• Installation of dock components such as fenders and bollards; and
• Fill above HTL: 112,155 sf (2.6 acres); 6,182 cy

CONSTRUCTION METHODS

Construction Vessels: The following vessels are expected to support construction and protected species monitoring:

• One materials barge (approximately 400 feet [ft] by 100 ft) to transport materials from Seattle, Washington to the project site and to be used onsite as a staging area during construction.
• One construction barge (Brightwater crane barge [280 ft by 76 ft by 16 ft]) onsite to support construction.
• One skiff (19-foot by 8-foot with a single 90-135 horsepower Honda outboard motor) transported to the project site on the crane barge to support construction and, potentially, marine mammal monitoring activities.

Transport of Materials and Equipment: The materials barge would be towed from Seattle, Washington to transport construction materials to the Lutak Dock project site. The construction barge (Brightwater) would travel from Cordova in Southcentral Alaska to the project site. All barges would be towed at a speed of around 8 knots. These types of barges frequently travel the route to and from Alaska. Once at the project site, the construction barge would be secured in place by four mooring anchors. The anchors would be below the surface and would not be a hazard to navigation. The materials barge would be tied to the construction barge, and materials would be moved from the staging barge to the construction barge and project site by a crane on the construction barge. Local barge moves to the next pile installation area (in approximately 100-foot increments) would occur at a speed of less than 2 miles per hour.

Other In-water Construction and Heavy Machinery Activities: The proposed action would involve in-water construction and heavy machinery activities in addition to the activities described above. These include using standard barges and tug boats and positioning piles on the substrate using a crane (i.e., “stabbing the pile”).

Construction Equipment: The following pile installation equipment is expected to be used: Vibratory hammer (American Pile Equipment 200-6/bare hammer weight 18,900 pounds), diesel impact hammer (Delmag D46/max Energy per blow 122,435 feet-pounds; Delmag D80/max energy per blow 212,420 feet-pounds), and drilled shaft drill (Holte 100,000 feet-pounds top drive with down-the-hole (DTH) hammer and bit).

Construction Sequence: In-water pile installation and removal activities are expected to occur for a total of approximately 1,272 hours over 234 days (not necessarily consecutive).

In-water construction of the combi wall would use the following sequence:

1. Vibrate in 2 to 3 temporary 36-inch diameter steel piles a minimum of 10 feet into overburden to support template frames.
2. Install the template frame with support on the existing dock structure, welded to the temporary pile. The template frame would be sized to hold approximately 10 piles to minimize the number of moves required to complete the work.
3. Within the frame, vibrate, impact, and DTH drill the permanent 42-inch diameter steel piles into place. Only one pile would actively be advanced at a time. However, up to 10 piles may be partially installed at a given time. To do this, the contractor would partially advance one individual pile into the substrate, then partially advance the next pile individual pile into the substrate, repeating this for each individual pile. This ensures that all piles remain vertical and in alignment through the installation process. In this way, the combi wall would be installed in “curtain-like” sections composed of interlocking pipe piles. The steel pipe piles are joined together by steel connectors using a ball-and-socket joint that is installed on the pile prior to pile driving.
4. Remove the template frame and temporary pile and reinstall in the next location. This process would be repeated for installation of all permanent piles.
5. Vibrate and impact the 55.5-inch sheet piles to make up the new dock return walls.

In-water construction to remove guide pile and mooring dolphins would use the following sequence:

1. Vibrate or dead pull the existing 16-inch diameter steel piles that make up four mooring dolphins.
2. Vibrate or dead pull the existing 24-inch diameter steel guide pile that is embedded 35 feet into the overburden.

Placement of riprap and type C fill would occur above and below HTL as described below. Placement of fill behind the newly established combi wall would not be considered in-water work, since fill would be placed within the constructed wall from land. Placement of gravel surface course would not be considered in-water work, since fill would be overlain on the existing dock surface which is above HTL.

Installation of Permanent Piles and Dock Components: If possible, the template frames would be supported by a cantilever on the existing dock to guide installation of permanent piles. However, temporary piles would be installed if needed to support the template frames. Two or three temporary 36-inch diameter piles may be needed for each template. Most temporary piles would be vibrated into place; however, up to four of these may need to be impacted in locations where the bedrock is shallow. Shallow bedrock is not anticipated at the project site.

Using the templates as guides for positioning, the one hundred eighty (180) permanent piles would be vibrated and impacted (if required) through the overburden to the bedrock to encapsulate the existing dock. Once the pile tips have reached bedrock, they would be socketed 10 feet into the bedrock utilizing a DTH drill. For each permanent 42-inch diameter pile, approximately 5 cy of drill cuttings would be produced.

Twenty-three (23) permanent 42-inch diameter tieback steel piles would be vibrated or impacted as required through the soil layer to bedrock. A 28-inch diameter shaft would be drilled through the 42-inch diameter pile into the bedrock with the DTH drill and bit, to socket the piles 24 feet into the bedrock. All tieback pile installation would occur above HTL within the footprint of the existing dock and any drill cuttings would be retained on land.

Forty (40) 55.5-inch sheet piles would be vibrated and then impacted to create the return walls along the east and west sides of the dock.

A barge loading slip would be constructed by creating an approximately 22-foot by 30-foot notch along the new face of the dock. After the installation of the combi wall and backfill, a maximum of 40 sheet piles would be installed behind the newly installed combi wall using a vibratory hammer and impact hammer. After the installation of all sheet piles, about eight of the newly installed steel pipe piles (forming the new combi wall) would be cut off using an oxyacetylene cutting torch at a depth of about 10 feet (above mean lower low water) and capped with a steel waler and a concrete curb to form the barge loading notch. The installation of the barge loading slip would occur above HTL within the existing dock.

Filling Methods: Following the installation of piles for the combi wall, type C fill would be placed between the combi wall and the existing dock, vibracompacted to ensure stability, and overlain with gravel surface course to match existing grade. Riprap shore protection would be placed along the southeast and northwest ends of the dock and tied into the existing riprap. The riprap and fill would be placed using a dozer and a loader and fill above HTL would be compacted using a vibratory soil compactor.

Approximately 6,182 cy of fill would be placed above HTL to encapsulate the existing dock. Approximately 4,255 cy of type C fill and 275 cy of riprap would be placed between HTL and mean high water; and approximately 14,000 cy of type C fill and 3,136 cy of riprap would be placed below mean high water.

Schedule: Construction would begin in late fall 2023 and continue through winter 2024. All pile driving and removal (both above and below HTL) associated with the project is estimated to occur for a total of approximately 1,462 hours over 295 days (not necessarily consecutive). Most of the in-water work time would be spent DTH drilling (900 hours over 90 days). The placement of fill (both above and below HTL) is estimated to occur for approximately 2,240 hours over 122 days. Most of the in-water work time would be spent placing type C fill and riprap below MHW (1,378 hours over 69 days).

The construction timeline considers the mobilization of materials and potential delays due to delayed material deliveries, equipment maintenance, inclement weather, and shutdowns.

Applicant Proposed Mitigation: The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material:

1. Avoidance: To meet the project’s purpose and need construction must occur within waters of the United States. The project would be located within Lutak Inlet and adjacent uplands.
2. Minimization: The project uses the minimum amount of fill needed to retain the function of the dock and minimize impacts to waters of the United States. The project also uses the most compact design practicable (with the least number of piles and smallest pile sizes) to minimize impacts to waters of the United States.
3. Compensatory Mitigation: The total in-water fill for the proposed project would be minimal (approximately 53,310 square feet [1.2 acres]) in comparison to the available waters in Lutak Inlet. A review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Regulatory In-lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System (RIBITS) shows that there are no wetlands banks with available credits in this watershed. There are also no nearby available wetlands credits with the same classification as those that would be impacted by the proposed project. A search for in-lieu fee programs in this watershed using RIBITS returned no results for programs with available credits (USACE 2023). The project footprint is within a previously developed area, and the dock would be repaired to maintain its current function. To compensate for the unavoidable loss of wetlands, Haines Borough will develop a wetlands mitigation plan.

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 Megan Kohler at 907-269-4198 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.