Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: July 2, 2025                        PN Reference Number: POA-2025-00109
PN Expiration Date: August 1, 2025                                                            Waterway: St. Paul Harbor

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), must also apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA and the Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 AAC 70). The scope of certification is limited to the water quality-related impacts of the activity subject to the Federal license or permit (40 CFR 121.3, 18 AAC 15.180).

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[1] for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOTUS), 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 a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments via (preferred method) DEC website https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/ or email to the DEC email address: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov with the subject line referencing Public Notice Reference Number: POA-2025-00109 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: City of Kodiak, Matt Holmstrom, 2410 Mill Bay Rd., Kodiak, AK 99615, (907) 486-8065; mholmstrom@city.kodiak.ak.us

Project Name: Kodiak St. Paul Harbor Boat Launch Ramp Renovation

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 10/31/2025 to 04/30/2026

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 32, T. 027S, R. 019W, Seward Meridian, in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska.  Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 57.786737, -152.40764.

Purpose: The City of Kodiak and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game – Division of Sport Fish seek to renovate the existing St. Paul Harbor boat launch ramp to prolong its usable lifespan and provide continued access for the public.

Description of Proposed Work: The existing launch ramp, including the ramp planks, foundation, abutment, floats, and anchor piles, will be demolished. Construction activities will include a new reconstructed launch ramp that will be rotated 10 degrees northwest of the existing ramp orientation; this will reduce excavation near the toe of the new ramp and mitigate the need for future maintenance. Other launch ramp facility upgrades include new on-float lighting, upland potable water service, signage, and traffic striping.

The reconstructed launch ramp will be slightly steepened to a grade of 13% for easier vessel launching/retrieval and extended to a water elevation depth of -6.50’ feet below Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) to facilitate launch ramp functionality at all local tidal levels.

A new pile-supported fish cleaning station platform structure will also be provided as part of the proposed project. The waste chute will be connected to a floating “humpy dumpster” sealed and enclosed waste container, which can be removed and transported to deeper waters outside of the harbor for disposal in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.

Fill will be discharged to support the construction of a renovated boat launch ramp.

MOBILIZATION: Project barge shipments will originate from Anchorage, Homer, Seward, or Seattle and will travel along normal shipping routes.

One 150 ft-long work barge and a support skiff will be used to aid project activities. The barge will be towed by a 90-ft tug boat capable of transit at 9.5 to 10 knots.

DEMOLITION: Float units will be detached from the existing piling and removed with heavy equipment via the existing ramp. These components will be staged on the uplands for removal/disposal from the project site. Three (3) existing

12.75” steel piles and one (1) existing 12.75” timber pile will be removed with a vibratory hammer attached to a crane from the work barge.

Ramp panels will be removed using an excavator and/or crane and staged on the uplands for removal/disposal from the site. Existing grade beams will be removed using an excavator and staged on the uplands for removal/disposal from the site.

INSTALL NEW CONCRETE RAMP PLANKS, APRON, AND ABUTMENT: A bulldozer and/or excavator will be utilized to grade the ramp subgrade. Grade beams will then be placed and connected. Crushed rock fill will be placed between the grade beams. Fill materials for the reconstructed launch ramp will be sourced from project excavation, where possible, or obtained from an established and permitted commercial source off-site.

The new concrete deck planks will be installed with the crane. Revetment will be placed according to plans using an excavator. The new approach apron and boarding float abutment will be formed with temporary falsework. Cast-in-place concrete will be installed and finished. The reconstructed launch ramp will consist of two 16-ft lanes with 2-ft rumble strips on each side, for a total useable width of 18 feet per lane, meeting modern boat launch facility standards. Temporary forms/falseworks will be removed.

Riprap will be placed around the new ramp at the ramp edges and toe to protect against undermining due to tidal, wave, and other erosive forces.

 INSTALL FLOATS: Float units will be unloaded from the barge and placed into the water. The floats will be interconnected and held in place with anchoring and lashing. New timber boarding floats measuring 8 ft wide will be provided to meet modern accessibility standards. Piles will then be driven through pile hoops on the floats to secure the system in its final location. Approximately 1548 SF of new timber boarding floats will be held in place by four (4) 12.75” diameter anchor piles.

The fish waste chute float and humpy dumpster assembly will be positioned for pile driving.

INSTALL PILES: The contractor will drive piles using a vibratory hammer to first refusal or the required minimum embedment, whichever occurs first. Vibratory hammers will be used whenever feasible for driving piles to the required specified embedment depth. If piles do not reach embedment depth, an impact hammer will be used to achieve the required refusal criteria.

Launch ramp piles will be driven through the boarding float pile hoops as a guide. Temporary template piles are anticipated to guide permanent pile driving for the fish cleaning station deck structure. A total of eighteen (18) temporary 24” or less diameter template piles will be used to facilitate and guide permanent pile installation. The fish cleaning station, pile caps, and superstructure will be installed following the installation of the piles. Waste chute piles will be driven through an integrated pile hoop assembly as a guide.

INSTALL FISH CLEANING STATION DECK, ROOF, AND WASTE CHUTE: The fish cleaning station decking, railing, tables, roof cover, and waste chute will be constructed following pile installation. The timber deck measuring 33 ft by 25 ft will be supported by nine (9) 16” diameter piles. This fish cleaning station will include a fish waste chute pinned and supported by two (2) 12.75” piles.

DEMOBILIZATION: Refuse and excess materials from the project will be reclaimed, recycled, or disposed of as necessary in accordance with applicable regulations. Project equipment will be demobilized to the port of origin according to the contractor’s needs and means. All remaining project barges will be demobilized either to Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Seattle, or to another job site in Alaska.

QUANTITIES: Material quantities for activities with the potential to impact protected species are summarized in Tables 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. These quantities will be used to support calculations of impact ranges and durations and for analysis of project effects.

Table 2. Fill Demolition Quantities

Table 3. Structural Demolition Quantities

Table 4. New Fill and Excavation Footprint

Table 5. New Fill and Excavation Quantities

Table 6. New Structures and Piles Driven in Tidal Waters

*Vibratory hammers will be used whenever feasible for driving piles to the required specified embedment depth. If piles do not reach embedment depth, an impact hammer will be used to determine if the required refusal criteria have been achieved.

8. SCHEDULE, DURATION, AND CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE: Project work is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2025 and conclude in the summer of 2026, with a total duration of approximately 4 to 6 months.

The following table is provided as a generalized sequence of events. Details as to quantities, volumes, and construction are provided in the tables above.

Notes: *Durations based on active time working onsite. Total duration will vary due to working around tides (i.e., in-water fill placement and grading during low tides) and access constraints onsite. Activities are anticipated to occur sequentially in the order presented in the above table.

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: WOTUS could not be entirely avoided for this project because this project is a boat launch ramp located in tidal waters.
2. Minimization:The proposed project would impact the minimum amount of waters of the U.S. to meet the purpose and need. Additionally, the following best management practices are proposed:
   • Fill/riprap materials placed in WOTUS will be clean blasted rock with relatively few fines to reduce impacts from turbidity and/or sedimentation.
   • The launch will be maintained in a manner that does not introduce any pollutants or debris into the harbor or cause a migration barrier for fish.
   • Fuels, lubricants, and other hazardous substances used during construction will not be stored below the high tide line.
   • Review of best available data on migratory bird nesting will be conducted before construction to prevent impacts to protected bird species during clearing (if applicable). If possible, clearing will be performed outside of seasonal nesting windows.
   • New floats will be manufactured off-site and floated in.
   • All manmade construction debris will be collected and not allowed to enter the waters of the state.
   • Land-based equipment will not be operated on the substrate below the waterline. Incorporation of the proposed BMPs listed above will avoid and minimize impacts to WOTUS to the extent possible. The rotated alignment of the new ramp minimizes the excavation required to reach the required depths for the launch ramp.
3. Mitigation: This project will undergo ESA consultation. Mitigation measures from the final consultation will be implemented.

After reviewing the application, the Department will evaluate whether the activity will comply with applicable water quality requirements (any limitation, standard, or other requirement under sections 301, 302, 306, and 307 of the CWA, any Federal and state laws or regulations implementing those sections, and any other water quality-related requirement of state law). The Department may certify (or certify with conditions) with reasonable assurance the activity and any discharge that might result will comply with water quality requirements. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. To inquire about or 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 Kristin Mabry, kristin.mabry@alaska.gov, 1-907-334-0884; or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 at least 3 days prior to the expiration/closure date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.