PUBLIC NOTICE
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program/§401 Certification
555 Cordova Street, Anchorage AK9501-2617
Phone: 907-269-6285 | Email: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov

Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: December 1, 2023   PN Reference Number: POA-2020-00370 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: December 18, 2023                                           Waterway: Sitka Harbor

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=eYHuVaNcE on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: City and Borough of Sitka, Michael Harmon, 100 Lincoln Street Sitka, AK 99835; (907) 747-1804; michael.harmon@cityofsitka.org.

Agent: DOWL, Josh Grabel, 5015 Business Park Blvd #4000 Anchorage, AK 99503; (907) 562-2000; jgrabel@dowl.com.

Project Name: New Sitka Seaplane Base

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 34, T. 55 S, R. 63 E; Copper River Meridian; in Sitka, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude):  57.05589, -135.36470. With potential discharge locations of fill and structure placement in Sitka Harbor -135.359500, 57.056800.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to construct a new Sea Plane Base (SPB) on Japonski Island in Sitka Channel and address capacity, safety, operational, and condition deficiencies at the existing Sitka SPB. This project is needed to support critical seaplane operations and transportation in Southeast Alaska, to resolve existing seaplane and boat conflicts, and to replace the existing base (A29) which is 65 years old and in poor condition. The current Sitka SPB located off Katlian Street, A29, is at the end of its useful life and has several shortcomings, including limited docking capacity. A29 has only eight spaces, four of which cannot be accessed during low tide. The facility also is expensive. to maintain, has wildlife conflicts with a nearby seafood processing plant, and requires pilots to navigate a busy channel with ship traffic.

The new SPB would improve the safety of seaplane operation in the channel, along with reducing traffic and congestion in Sitka Channel. The proposed SPB should reduce conflicts with marine vessels during landing and takeoff with a relocated seaplane lane. The relocated seaplane lane moves taxi operations into a wider, less congested section of Sitka Channel.

Project Description: The project would construct a 2.6 acres pad in uplands, wetlands, and waters of the U.S. including bridge abutment, approach, vehicle turnaround, parking, basic amenities, curb, vehicle driveway, security fencing, and landscape buffer. (Note: certain components would be installed out of the water). Material would be excavated from the side slopes above Sitka Channel to level the proposed fill pad, including from a wetland mapped during the 2020 wetland delineation.

Excavation and fill material in waters of the U.S. for construction includes:

• Above mean high water (MHW)- excavation of 0.06 acre of wetland for pad leveling and placement of fill between High Tide Line (HTL) and MHW- discharge of 0.06 acres of fill between HTL (+13 feet) and MHW (+9.16 feet relative to mean lower low water (MLLW)
• Below MHW- Discharge of 1.3 acres of fill
  • Side slopes of fill would have ratio of 2 horizontal to 1 vertical (2H:1V) slopes with heavy open graded armor rock and interstitial spaces.
• Rock blasting and excavation of about 10,100 cubic yards of material would occur, extending from about 16 to 60 vertical feet above MLLW (0.00 datum) located at the end of the Seward Avenue in the southwest corner of the project.

• All blasting and excavating would occur above HTL (+13 feet).
• Rock blasting and excavation would extend from shoreline approximately 200 horizontal feet inland.
• Following blasting and excavating, excavated materials, armor rock, and underlayment would be placed on land to develop the SPB bridge abutment, approach, vehicle turnaround, parking, basic amenities, curb, and vehicle driveway totaling 34,650 cubic yards. The fill would be placed using an excavator and dozer and then compacted using a vibratory soil compactor.

  The proposed project would construct the following structures in Sitka Channel, a Section 10 water of the U.S.:

• Construct and install the following pile-supported components:
  • 80-foot by 24-foot approach dock
  • 120-foot by 12-foot pedestrian and vehicle transfer bridge
  • 128-foot by 68-foot bridge landing and drive-down float
  • 417-foot by 46-foot seaplane ramp float to support 10 Cessna and 4 Beaver seaplane berths

• Install and remove 12 temporary 16-inch-diameter steel piles as templates to guide proper installation of permanent piles (these temporary piles would be removed prior to project completion).
• Install 10 permanent 16-inch-diameter galvanized steel piles and 16 permanent 24-inch-diameter galvanized steel piles to support the approach dock, pedestrian and vehicle transfer bridge, bridge landing and drive-down float, and seaplane ramp float.
• Install other SPB float components such as electricity connections, waterlines, lighting, passenger walkway, handrail, and mast lights.

Additional Information: Certifications and/or approvals needed for the project would include: Tideland Conveyance by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Section 401 and Section 402 Certification by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Zoning, Building, & Floodplain Permits by the City and Borough of Sitka Alaska, Section 106 Review/Concurrence by the Alaska State Historic Preservation Office, Section 7 Review/Concurrence by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Essential Fish Habitat Review/Concurrence by NMFS, and a Fish Habitat Permit by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.

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.

a. Avoidance: Avoiding impacts to waters of the U.S. is not practicable. Wetlands and tidal waters are unavoidable due to the size requirements of the fill pad in proximity to deeper waters to meet the project purpose and need. In addition, the existing parcel size above the High Tide Line is not sufficient to accommodate project infrastructure and must be expanded into Sitka Harbor.

b. Minimization: Emphasis has been placed on minimizing unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S. by limiting fill discharges to the minimum amount and size necessary to achieve the project purpose.

c. Compensatory Mitigation: Approximately 1.46 acres of Section 404 wetlands and waters of the U.S. would be impacted by the proposed fill and excavation activities. Compensatory mitigation would be provided by purchasing credits from a mitigation bank or in-lieu fee program to replace functions lost from impacts to the aquatic resources.

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.