Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: June 18, 2026               PN Reference Number: POA-2026-00090 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: July 20, 2026                       Waterway: Little Meadow Creek

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-2026-00090 v1.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Alaska DOT&PF, Isaac Kelsey, 500 S. Seward Meridian Pkwy, Wasilla, AK 99654, (907) 707-1918; isaac.kelsey@alaska.gov

Project Name: Seldon Road Extension Phase II: Windy Bottom/Beverly Lakes Road to Pittman Road

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 07/01/2026 to 11/30/2028

Location: The proposed activity is located within Sections 25, 26, 27, 34, T. 18N, R. 2W, Seward Meridian, in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 61.615680, -149.55958.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to complete a new roadway connection between the terminus of Seldon Road at West Beverly Lake Road, west to intersect Pittman Road. The project will provide a new roadway alignment for vehicles to travel east and west, alleviating traffic along Church Road, improving overall traffic circulation in the area, providing an alternate route to the Parks Highway, and providing new pedestrian facilities. The project is part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) Long-Range Transportation Plan adopted in 2017.

Description of Proposed Work: ADOT is proposing to place 17,000 cubic yards (cy) of fill material in

3.51 acres of palustrine wetlands and 95 cy of fill in 280 linear feet of perennial streams to complete the Seldon Road extension from the Phase I terminus at the West Beverly Lakes Road intersection west to Pittman Road. Work would also require the excavation of 8,554 cy of native material.

Table 1: Overview of Impacts to Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS).

The proposed project includes the following components:

• Extend Seldon Road with a 2.25-mile two-lane arterial facility.
• Construct a frontage road near Pittman Road to tie into the existing road network.
• Reconstruct portions of adjacent roads to meet current design standards and create new intersections.
• Construct a new 10-foot-wide separated pedestrian pathway on the south side of the new facility.
• Relocate utilities.
• Construct new drainage facilities.
• Clear and grub vegetation.
• Install new or replace roadside hardware, including signs and striping.

Additional Information: ADOT has developed a Public Involvement Plan for the proposed project with extensive public involvement since 2022. In addition, a website that contains detailed information on the proposed project, including ADOT public and agency scoping comments, was developed through ADOT and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and is available at http://www.seldon-phase2.com and http://www.matsugov.us/projects/seldon-road-extension.

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 avoid impacts to WOTUS, ADOT&PF examined four different Seldon Road Extension alignments as well as variations of the preferred alignment. This analysis compared the amount of wetlands and stream length impacted, the amount of fill to determine if new material sources would have to be opened, the logistics of acquiring properties, and the total cost. ADOT&PF chose the project alignment resulting in the Least Environmentally Damaging Practical Alternative (LEDPA) which still met the project purpose and need. The proposed alignment also includes the lowest impact to WOTUS compared to other alternatives that were considered during the design process.
2. Minimization: To minimize impacts to WOTUS, including wetlands, ADOT&PF proposes the following measures:

• Minimization by Design: The cross-section of the roadway and pedestrian path have been designed with the minimum footprint necessary to meet design standards and address pedestrian safety concerns. Clean fill will be sourced from an approved material site.
• Drainage Measures: Culverts will be used to maintain hydrologic connectivity for wetland and streams, and to provide water management along ditches for downhill drainage. Swales and other upland drainage features on the road route that collect water will have downhill connectivity maintained with culverts. Appropriately sized culverts will be placed as shown in the design to maintain hydrologic connectivity of drainage patterns.
• Erosion Control Measures: The project will comply with Alaska’s Water Quality Standards. Erosion control and construction methods will be described in the SWPPP required by the Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit. Erosion will be limited by using Best Management Practices (BMPs) for embankment stabilization.
• Spill Control Measures: A Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasures Plan will be developed and implemented that will minimize the potential for fuel spills and mitigate the impact if a spill does occur. BMP’s will be employed that will be consistent with industry standards and State and Federal regulations.
• Migratory Bird Avoidance: Vegetation will be cleared outside of the migratory bird timing windows (May 1 to July 15) to avoid impacts to nesting birds.
  1. Mitigation: Fish Habitat Mitigation: While the replacement of the West Beverly Lake Road culvert is necessary to provide hydrologic connection between the Merri Belle Lake wetland complex north of West Beverly Lake Road the current culvert does not allow free fish passage. As part of constructing the new culvert the design will allow fish passage, restoring biological connection between the Merri Belle Lake wetland complex and Beverly Lake. The size of the culvert will be increased to accommodate stream flow which, during times of high water, exceeds the capacity of the existing culvert. No work will occur in wetlands during culvert replacement.
• ADOT&PF and ADF&G confirmed that there are resident fish present in the wetlands above the West Beverly Lake Road culvert. This culvert and unnamed tributary of the Merri Belle Lake wetland complex were subsequently re-classified by ADF&G as important for rearing of resident fish in May 2023. The current culvert at West Beverly
• Lake Road (24-inch diameter CMP) is insufficient to support fish passage as required by the 2025 Memorandum of Agreement between ADF&G and ADOT&PF for the Design, Permitting, and Construction of Culverts for Fish Passage.
• A Fish Habitat Permit will be procured prior to in-water work within the unnamed tributary. Stream diversion will be necessary during construction and will utilize the existing West Beverly Lake Road culvert. Installation of Tier 1 fish passage culverts and adherence to the terms and conditions set forth in the ADF&G Fish Habitat Permit during construction are anticipated to mitigate any project-related impacts to resident fish or essential fish habitat in the vicinity of the project. Culvert replacement on West Beverly Lake Road will result in improved hydrologic conditions and meet fish passage standards.

  Given that the new culvert will restore fish passage and open up a large area of fish habitat that is now isolated, there will be an ecological uplift. ADOT&PF proposes to use this uplift as mitigation to offset steam impacts associated with this project.

  1. Compensatory Mitigation: ADOT&PF also proposes purchasing 3.1542 mitigation credits from one of the USACE-approved mitigation banks which service the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

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.

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