Public Comment Period: POA-2026-00351 v1.0 Water Quality Certification

Marcus Hernandez has applied for a Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for a dock reconfiguration project at 1618 Sawmill Creek Road in Sitka, Alaska. The project involves constructing an 8-foot-high, 68-foot-long concrete block seawall to stabilize the shoreline for a new residential building. The work requires the discharge of approximately 168 cubic yards of shot rock fill and 40.3 cubic yards of pre-cast concrete blocks into 0.0144 acres of marine intertidal waters. The applicant proposes to remove an existing 825-square-foot wooden float and replace it with a new 16-foot by 60-foot concrete float supported by 12-inch galvanized steel piles. Mitigation measures include conducting work during dewatered tidal cycles, using vibratory hammers for pile installation, and employing Protected Species Observers to monitor for marine life. The applicant argues that compensatory mitigation is unnecessary due to the small project footprint and lack of submerged aquatic vegetation. The public comment period for this certification request is open until November 6, 2026. The DEC will evaluate the proposal for compliance with Alaska Water Quality Standards and the Clean Water Act before deciding whether to certify, conditionally certify, or deny the request.