Integrated Training Area Management EA and Final FNSI

Project Name33 Mile LoopRoad ShortcutUpgradeProject DescriptionThis project will improve a 2250 m section of an unimproved existing road base on the southern end of 33Mile Loop Road. This road is a shortcut route for troop activities in the southern portion of 33 Mile LoopRoad. This section of road is inaccessible to military vehicles due a large erosion feature in a probablewetland area at the midpoint and several smaller poorly drained soft areas along the entire length. Thisproject will connect the improvements from 33 Mile Loop Road Phase 1 with Phase 5 and will improveaccess and control erosion by improving drainage through grading, establishing ditches and theinstallation of a culvert, geotextile and fill material. This project will also minimize impacts to sensitivewetland areas by controlling off road access.ApproximateAcresImpacted2.3J Lake AccessControlJ Lake is accessed from Windy Ridge Road and is a stocked with game fish by the Alaska Department ofFish and Game. This lake receives significant recreational use. A previously installed gabion project atthe western end of the lake resulted in a construction access trail that has proliferated into a vehicle routeto the lake shore. This access was not intended for vehicular use post construction and is eroding due toinappropriate use. This project will block the access route at its intersection with Windy Ridge Road,allowing only pedestrian traffic. The blockade will be constructed from large boulders.0.1J Lake GabionRepairObservationPoint 2AForwardOperations BaseUpgradeDome RoadUpgrade andRepairBig Lake RoadUpgrade andRepairBig Lake/WindyRidge TrailUpgrade Phase 133 Mile LoopRoad Phase 1BJ Lake is accessed from Windy Ridge Road and is a stocked with game fish by the Alaska Department ofFish and Game. This lake receives significant recreational use. A rock basket gabion with woven filterfabric was installed at the western end of the lake to control the highly competitive long nose sucker fishfrom entering the lake from a seasonal stream. The woven filter fabric has been pulled and frayed fromthe gabion wire, mostly due to inappropriate recreational access across and behind the structure. Thisproject will remove the existing fabric and replace it with a seamed higher tensile strength fabric that willbetter resist recreational impacts.This project will improve approximately 2 acres of unimproved trails adjacent to the Battalion ForwardOperations Base on South Beales Road with a network of hardened trails and tent pads. The area isaccessed from OP Road adjacent OP2A and will connect to the bivouac pad within the FOB. The area ischaracterized by relatively flat slopes with poorly drained sections of trails and is covered by a mix ofsmall spruce and aspen. This project will improve access and control erosion by confining bivouacactivities to hardened surfaces through grading and the installation of geotextile and fill material.This project will improve a 7000 m section of an existing road. Dome Road is a major route for troopactivities within the Donnelly training area. This section of road is characterized by poorly drained areasprone to rutting and potholes and has received significant impacts from Stryker traffic. This project willimprove access and control erosion by improving drainage through grading, re-establishing ditches andthe installation of geotextile and fill material.This project will improve a 500 m section of an existing road. Big Lake Road provides access to a seriesof trails within the Bolio Training Area. This section of road is impassible accept during frozen soils andlight snow conditions and is characterized by areas of deep organics and silts that are poorly drained withsignificant erosion features that are prone to severe rutting and width proliferation. This project willimprove access and control erosion by improving drainage through grading, establishing ditches and theinstallation of geotextile and fill material.This project will improve a series of unimproved trails between Big Lake and Windy Ridge Road. Thisarea is used during field training exercises and provides a wide variety of terrain from low flat areas tosteep hills and ridge lines. This area of trails is characterized by poorly-drained low spots, narrow trailwidths and adverse slope rill erosion. This project will improve access and control erosion by improvingdrainage through grading and the installation of geotextile and fill material in selected areas.This project will improve a 1250 m section of an unimproved existing road base between 33 Mile LoopPhases 1 and 2. This road is the main route for troop activities within 6 major training areas. This sectionof road is essentially inaccessible to military vehicles due large erosion features from poor drainage, deepruts and adverse hilltop slopes, which result in high centering. This project will connect the improvementspreviously completed on 33 Mile Loop Road Phase 1 and 2 and will improve access and control erosionby improving drainage through grading, re-establishing ditches and the installation of geotextile and fillmaterial. This project will also minimize impacts to sensitive cultural sites by confining access to ahardened road surface.0.12Not YetDetermined1.37.23.1_____________________________________________________________________________________________Environmental AssessmentUnited States Army Alaska, Integrated Training Area Management ProgramManagement Plan A-10