Kasilof River Special Use Area

Located on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula the Kasilof River is a relatively large, partially glacial-fed river stretching almost 20 miles; flowing north, northwest; draining Tustumena Lake before emptying into the Upper Cook Inlet.

Commercial use of mooring buoys within the lower Kasilof River is currently regulated in time and space by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and is limited to approximately 121 buoy locations. Buoy locations are separated by 165 feet in the lower river and 135 feet in the upper river as a result of navigational restrictions imposed by the United States Coast Guard. Currently, individuals or businesses can apply to the USACE and receive a General Permit to secure one of the limited buoys locations.

The Kasilof River and the lands underlying to the mouth upstream to 13 miles are state-owned and managed; and have been determined as a state navigable water body through a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest process. The Southcentral Regional Land Office (SCRO) is obligated to manage and authorize commercial use on state owned lands and commercial mooring buoys are not considered a Generally Allowed Use per 11 AAC 96.020. The Kasilof River mooring buoys are a unique situation due to the sheer numbers of buoys established every fishing season and the current management by USACE, although authorizing the establishment and use of mooring buoys on state managed lands is not a new policy and DNR authorizes and manages many other mooring buoy permits statewide. As part of SCRO’s permit efficiently goal we have developed a streamlined permitting process by creating the Kasilof River Mooring Buoy-General Permit.