Revisions to Water Management Regulations

In August of 2024, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR, Department) initiated a public process announcing its intent to revise the regulations implementing AS 46.15.145 Reservations of water: 11 AAC 93.142 (Content of application), 11 AAC 93.146 (Issuance of a certificate of reservation of water), and 11 AAC 93.147 (Review of a reservation of water).

The proposed regulations update is detailed in an attachment to the OPN Notice.

The DNR has considered input received during the scoping period and from the public meeting (detailed below) and has noticed its proposed revisions through an online public notice posted on May 29, 2026. DNR also provided notice through legal ad in the Anchorage Daily News on May 31, 2026; email to people, Alaska Native Corporations, interest groups, and government entities; and through inclusion of the notice on its public facing division website. The public comment period will close at 5:00 PM on June 30, 2026.

You are invited to read the attached proposed regulations and provide your input directly to DNR in one of the methods outlined in the agency notice.

Question Period

In addition to providing comments, you may also submit questions related to the regulations in writing to the Department; DNR will provide responses to those questions which will be posted to this webpage and the State's Online Public Notice system. There are a couple of ways to submit your questions which are outlined in the agency notice. Note that questions must be written and received by 5:00 PM on June 20, 2026.

Public Meeting

DNR hosted a public meeting on August 12, 2024, from 4:30-6:30 pm at the Atwood Conference Center Room 102/104 in Anchorage (Robert B. Atwood Building, 550 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501).

The meeting included a brief presentation by DNR followed by a question-and-response session with the public. After there was an opportunity for participants to submit feedback.