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Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification – POA-2025-00312 v1.0 Yukon River, ADOT&PF – Nunam Iqua Airport Improvements Project

Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification Public Notice

Date: August 12, 2025
PN Reference Number: POA-2025-00312 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: September 11, 2025
Waterway: Yukon River

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  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, the 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-2025-00312 v1.0, or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: 
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, 
Kerri Martin 
2301 Peger Rd
Fairbanks, AK 99709 
907-451-5289 
kerri.martin@alaska.gov

Project Name: 
Nunam Iqua Airport Improvements Project

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 
04/01/2026 to 10/31/2028 

Location: 
The proposed activity is located within Sections 10, 15, 16, T. 28N, R. 84W, Seward Meridian, in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska.  Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 62.523436, -164.84441.

Purpose: 
The proposed project purpose is to remedy deficiencies and upgrade the Nunam Iqua Airport to meet current FAA design standards for A-II airports. This project is needed to address substandard operational surface geometries, settling of operational surfaces, the old age of airport facilities, including lighting, and the snow removal equipment building (SREB), and to stabilize and replace the existing segmented circle and windcone.

Description of Proposed Work: 
The proposed project purpose is to remedy deficiencies and upgrade the Nunam Iqua Airport to meet current FAA design standards for A-II airports. This project is needed to address substandard operational surface geometries, settling of operational surfaces, the old age of airport facilities, including lighting, and the snow removal equipment building (SREB), and to stabilize and replace the existing segmented circle and windcone. The Nunam Iqua Airport is an essential transportation hub for the community, and air is the primary transportation method into and out of the community.

Material for the proposed project will be contractor-furnished and is anticipated to be sourced from a combination of imported material from either Nome or Marshall and local material from a dynamic landmass in the Yukon River. Material from Nome or Marshall is anticipated to be imported via barge and consist of shot rock and surfacing course. Local material from the Yukon River would consist of silty sand. This material is anticipated to be extracted in frozen conditions and placed adjacent to airport surfaces to be allowed to thaw and dewater for a summer season before placing it in final permanent fill locations.

The proposed project is anticipated to result in approximately 11.02 acres (approximately 160,800 cubic yards) of permanent fill in WOTUS. Permanent fill is required to expand the RSA length and width, expand the TSA width, construct a new apron area and airport access road, and construct new pads and access roads for PAPI, segmented circle, and windcone. Permanent fill placed as a result of the construction of the new airport access road will include culverts to be placed as instructed by the construction engineer in order to maintain natural drainage patterns and allow for equalization of water across pond features.

Additionally, the proposed project is anticipated to result in approximately 29.03 acres of temporary impacts to WOTUS. Temporary impacts are anticipated to primarily result from the excavation and dewatering of geotechnical materials from the proposed material site in Kwemeluk Pass. All temporary fills placed on wetlands for thawing and dewatering will be underlain by geotextile fabric to ensure fill material is separated from the original ground. Temporary impacts may also occur if construction equipment requires access to areas outside of the proposed permanent fill. Where practicable, a 10-foot temporary work zone will be established from the toe of the proposed permanent fill area to allow for construction vehicle access. Construction mats will be utilized on thawed ground outside of the proposed footprint to minimize impacts to WOTUS.

The proposed project would include: 
• Widen the runway to 75 feet. 
• Widen and lengthen the runway safety area (RSA) to 150 feet by 3,616 feet (300 feet beyond each runway end).
• Lengthen the taxiway to 220 feet.
• Widen taxiway safety area (TSA) to 118 feet.
• Replace or lengthen culverts under runway and taxiway to meet new safety area widths.
• Construct a new aircraft parking apron away from the runway, adjacent to the existing apron, and rehabilitate the existing apron.
• Resurface operational surfaces and apply dust palliative.
• Construct a new, approximately 20-foot by 750-foot airport access road.
• Remove and reconstruct portions of the existing boardwalks.
• Replace the segmented circle and construct new pads and access roads for the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights, segmented circle, and wind cone.
• Replace airfield lights.
• Remove existing SREB and construct a new approximately 42-foot by 55-foot (2,310square feet) SREB on the new apron location. Includes extension of utilities to the new SREB.
• Temporary placement of approximately 72,000 cubic yards of borrow materials surrounding the runway and apron to allow the material to thaw and dewater (anticipated to take 1-2 thaw seasons).

Materials will be contractor-furnished and are anticipated to be sourced from a nearby dynamic landmass in the Kwemeluk Pass of the Yukon River, as well as from material sites in either Marshall or Nome. Imported material from Marshall or Nome will be required to provide shot rock and surfacing course for the project. Material extraction in Kwemeluk Pass is anticipated to be conducted below the high-water mark during the winter. The gravel bar has changed significantly over the last 18 years, as the aerial imagery comparison in Figure 11 depicts geotechnical bore holes and changes in the gravel bar from 2006 to 2024.

DOT&PF geotechnical drilling conducted on the landmass found that the landmass consists of silty sand, sandy silt, and silt with sand and organics. The proposed project would use a front-end loader, an excavator, and a dump truck to remove approximately 72,000 cubic yards of material for the project. The project would establish a buffer area of approximately 30 feet from the edge of water (observed in the winter) and is anticipated to excavate to a depth of six feet (removal of the top two feet assumed to be overburden, leaving four feet of usable material). Material is anticipated to be hauled from the excavation to the airport via a winter haul route (i.e., snow/ice road), but the methodology of extraction and transport is ultimately up to the chosen contractor(s). Overburden is anticipated to be spread over the excavated area after material extraction has occurred. Usable extracted materials are then anticipated to be laid over the areas displayed in Figures 4-6 & 8 (crosshatched) to allow for thawing and dewatering of the material before being placed in ultimate permanent fill locations.

The proposed project is anticipated to begin in spring 2026 and to be substantially completed by Fall 2028.

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:
- No fill, equipment, or construction materials shall be stockpiled or stored on wetlands that do not have authorization for these activities.
- Existing airport surfaces have been incorporated into the airport layout as much as practicable while still meeting FAA geometry standards.
b. Minimization:
- Stockpiled materials from Kwemeluk Pass will be stabilized or covered while being allowed to thaw and dewater. Sediment control measures will also be installed along all downgradient perimeter areas.
- All temporary fills placed on wetlands for thawing and dewatering will be underlain by geotextile fabric to ensure fill material is separated from the original ground.
- Erosion and sediment perimeter control measures (silt fences, straw wattles, etc.) will be placed and maintained throughout construction.
- Where possible, vegetative buffers will be implemented as a perimeter control measure. Any evidence of sediment accumulation within the wetland vegetative buffer shall be reported to the Corps of Engineers, and appropriate BMPs shall be installed to prevent further accumulation. Vegetative buffers are not appropriate in areas with standing water or emergent wetlands adjacent to the impact area. In these areas, appropriate BMPs shall be installed to prevent the accumulation of sediment outside of the permitted impact area.
- Vegetation clearing in wetland areas outside of the proposed permanent fill limits will be accomplished while soils are frozen or by hand using only low ground-pressure, wheeled ATVs for access to minimize temporary wetland impacts.
- Temporary work mats will be utilized for any equipment requiring access to wetland areas in thawed conditions beyond the footprint of the proposed permanent fill limits.
- Existing drainage patterns will be maintained or enhanced wherever possible.
- Permanent fill placed as a result of the construction of the new airport access road will include culverts to be placed as instructed by the construction engineer to maintain natural drainage patterns, allow for equalization of water across pond features, and to avoid entrapment of resident fish species.
c. Mitigation: Given the steps provided above to avoid and minimize wetland impacts, the community's need for a safe and reliable airport facility, and the ubiquitous nature of wetlands in the project area, DOT&PF is not proposing compensatory mitigation for this project.

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, 907-334-0884; or TDD Relay Service 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.
 

Attachments, History, Details

Revision History

Created 8/12/2025 3:57:31 PM by jrschlosser
Modified 8/12/2025 3:58:03 PM by jrschlosser
Modified 8/12/2025 4:01:11 PM by jrschlosser
Modified 8/12/2025 4:09:51 PM by jrschlosser
Modified 8/12/2025 4:17:46 PM by jrschlosser
Modified 8/12/2025 4:18:34 PM by jrschlosser

Details

Department: Environmental Conservation
Category: Public Notices
Sub-Category:
Location(s): Statewide
Project/Regulation #: POA-2025-00312 v1.0
 
Publish Date: 8/12/2025
Archive Date: 9/12/2025
 
Events/Deadlines: