Kotzebue Corp. Seeks Permit for 9-Acre Wetland Gravel Mine at Nimiuk Point

Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation is seeking state water quality certification to extract sand and gravel from 8.8 acres of tundra wetlands at Nimiuk Point, 18 miles southeast of Kotzebue. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting public comments through June 11, 2026.

The project would remove approximately 104,000 cubic yards of material from freshwater emergent wetlands over four years, from 2026 through 2030. The gravel would supply road construction, landfill reclamation, sewer improvements, and building pads in Kotzebue. The 8.8-acre extraction area is part of a 27-acre site where 17.27 acres were already excavated under a prior permit, making this an expansion of existing operations. Work would proceed in two cells across two phases.

Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation holds two active gravel permits in the region, according to state transportation records. A 2023 land status report for the proposed Kotzebue to Cape Blossom Road identified Nimiuk Point as a likely future permit area to support infrastructure development.

The company plans to barge material to Kotzebue in approximately 12 trips per year between May and September. Work would occur 12 hours per day, seven days per week during the extraction season. The site would be accessed by beach landing craft or deck barge, with winter access by snow machine or four-wheeler.

The application states that complete avoidance of wetlands is not practicable for the project. The company evaluated alternatives including barging gravel from Nome and single-phase extraction, but selected the current two-phase plan as most reasonable. After extraction, the site would be reclaimed as revegetated marshland under a plan filed with the state.

The project requires certification under the Clean Water Act that discharges will comply with Alaska Water Quality Standards. The company must also obtain a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permit and a Northwest Arctic Borough Title 9 permit. Comments can be submitted through the DEC website at dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices or by email to [email protected] with subject line POA-2005-00246 v1.0.

Contact Maria Lewis at MLP and Associates, 907-885-0271. The Department of Environmental Conservation can be reached at 907-269-6285.