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Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification – POA-1982-00194-M17 v1.0 Yukon River, Yukon River & Road Transport LLC – Galena Gravel Haul Permit

Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification
PN Reference Number: POA-1982-00194-M17 v1.0
Waterway: Yukon River

Public Notice (PN) Date: April 29, 2026
PN Expiration Date: May 29, 2026

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) 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-1982-00194-M17 v1.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: 
Yukon River & Road Transport LLC, Ronald Burgett II, PO Box 185, Galena, AK 99741, 907-250-4282; rbii@yukontransport.com

Project Name: 
Galena Gravel Haul Permit

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 
05/01/2026 to 12/31/2030 

Location: 
The proposed activity is located within Section T9S, T. R9E, R. KRM, Kateel River Meridian, in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 64.732068, -156.95388.

Purpose: 
River Run Gravel extraction during low water levels for commercial material sales such as roads, foundations, and cement batch and delivery.

Description of Proposed Work: 
Use of heavy equipment, including excavators, loaders, snow-clearing bulldozers, and dump trucks for the extraction of gravel from the Yukon River during periods of low water under frozen conditions on the right bank sandbar. If water is present on the sandbar, material would not be extracted. Approximately 1000 cubic yards of material would be extracted each year for a total of 5,000 cubic yards over the permit life. Gravel material would then be stored in uplands for future use in roads, driveways, and building pads. The impacted area would be approximately 0.34 acres of riverine habitat annually.

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: The Applicant states that work would be conducted when the sand bar is exposed above the water table. If surface water is encountered and conditions are not ideal, then no gravel would be extracted. The extraction area would be sloped toward the Yukon River to avoid trapping fish following high water events.
b. Minimization: The Applicant states that project plans have not changed from past extraction efforts. The extraction would occur 200 feet below the ordinary high-water mark and 1.6 feet above the river level at the time of extraction.
c. Mitigation: The Applicant is not proposing any compensatory mitigation at this time because impacts are temporary if the avoidance and minimization measures are followed.

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.
 

Attachments, History, Details

Revision History

Created 4/29/2026 9:03:35 AM by jrschlosser
Modified 4/29/2026 9:06:09 AM by jrschlosser

Details

Department: Environmental Conservation
Category: Public Notices
Sub-Category:
Location(s): Statewide
Project/Regulation #: POA-1982-00194-M17 v1.0
 
Publish Date: 4/29/2026
Archive Date: 5/30/2026
 
Events/Deadlines: