Mat-Su Valley Dock Permits

To construct or maintain a new or existing dock on state park waters in the Mat-Su Valley, please see the following information.

What Agency to Contact for Specific Lakes

Dock Permitting Jurisdictional Matrix – Matanuska-Susitna Valley Area Only

Water Body	Agencies of Jurisdiction	Contact Info
State Park Waters ¹	-Alaska State Parks ¹ -Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Div. of Habitat ² -US Army Corps of Engineers ³	745-8950 861-3200 753-2619
Big Lake, cove near Big Lake North State Recreation Site	-Alaska State Parks ¹ -Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Div. of Habitat ² -US Army Corps of Engineers ³	745-8950 861-3200 753-2619
Big Lake, everywhere else	-Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Div. of Habitat ² -US Army Corps of Engineers ³	861-3200 753-2619
Flat Horn Lake	-Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Div. of Habitat ² -US Army Corps of Engineers ³	861-3200 753-2619
All other fresh waters	-Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Div. of Habitat ² -US Army Corps of Engineers ³ -Dept. of Natural Resources, Div. of Mining, Land and Water 4 -Matanuska-Susitna Borough 5 -Other 6	861-3200 753-2619 269-8503 745-9822
All marine waters	-Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Div. of Habitat ² -US Army Corps of Engineers ³ ** -Dept. of Natural Resources, Div. of Mining, Land and Water 4 -Other 6	861-3200 753-2619 269-8503

Footnotes:
1) List of Alaska State Park Managed Lake Waters within the Mat-Su Valley Area:

Nancy Lake	Rocky Lake	Long Lake (Milepost 85.4 Glenn Hwy.)
Red Shirt Lake	Big Lake (small cove at Big Lake North SRS only)	Pirate Lake (Denali State Park)
Lynx Lake	Matanuska Lake	Ermine Lake (Denali State Park)
Butterfly Lake	Canoe Lake	Spink Lake (Denali State Park)
Skeetna Lake	Irene Lake	Upper & Lower Lakes (Denali State Park)
Big Darryl Lake	Kepler Lake

2) ADF&G Habitat Permits are only required on anadromous (salmon-bearing) water bodies. Fish Habitat Permits are not required for docks on waterbodies that do not contain anadromous fish species. Contact ADF&G for a listing of anadromous waters.

3) The US Army Corps of Engineers requires a permit for any structure on Big Lake or Flat Horn Lake. Corps permits for docks are not required on State Park waters listed above except for Big Lake. In addition, if any dock or any other project requires fill materials placed below the ordinary high water mark of any lake or flowing waters or on wetlands a Corps permit may be required. Contact the Corps or complete a Jurisdictional Determination Request for the project area, which is available at
http://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/regulatory/JD%20Request%20Form.pdf

**All marine waters (extending seaward within a zone three nautical miles from the coast line) and areas that are influenced by tidal activity (such as whatever number of miles up a river the tide extends) are subject to a Section 10 and/or Section 10/404 Corps permit, depending on the activity, including work or projects that are in, over, and under those waters.

The Army Corps Anchorage Field Office is responsible for all Mat-Su Borough areas. Contact them at (907) 753-2619 or at 1600 A Street, Suite 110, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Their main website is located at
http://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory.aspx.

4) The Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Lands and Water has jurisdiction on most waters in the Mat-Su area, EXCEPT those listed above in State Park waters. Permits may or may not be required. Contact the Southcentral Regional Land Management Office at 269-8503 for further information.

5) The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has jurisdiction on floodplain areas, contact the Borough Permit Center at 745-9822 for a flood hazard determination and floodplain development permit requirements. State Park managed waters listed above are not within flood hazard areas.

6) Other municipal codes or restrictions may apply. Contact the local municipality for further information.

Current Do's and Don't for Docks
This includes the nuts and bolts about the park rules, dock construction standards, and current management procedures. To view a document with the most current policy on dock permits, see the following link:
Mat-Su Interim Dock Policy

Dock Permit Applications
To apply for a State Park dock, open the below document, print it out, complete and deliver to the Mat-Su Area Headquarters. The application fee is $100.00. Mat-Su Parks Dock Application

Ideas and Plans for Authorized Docks
Included are sample plans for docks that are compliant with the current building and maintenance standards. It will also include some Best Management Practices for docks on public waters. PLEASE NOTE, these are only samples and are not intended to be a guide for how to build or design a dock.
Sample Plans for Docks

NOTE: The Nancy Lake State Recreation Area Management Plan is complete and available online. All new dock construction still requires a permit PRIOR to construction. To view the management plan, go to this website:
Nancy Lake State Recreational Area Management Planning.