The following public notice has been issued by the Bureau of Land Management regarding submerged lands in the Goodnews River system. Local residents may submit comments by February 6, 2026. This notice is published in the Alaska Life Public Notices section of The Tundra Drums website for the convenience of local residents and stakeholders.
Notice is hereby given that on December 28, 2017, the State of Alaska finalized an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest (RDI) pursuant to section 315 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1745), and the regulations in 43 CFR Subpart 1864, which authorize the BLM to issue an RDI. The BLM casefile for the RDI application is AKAK1 06470188 / AA-92956.
The RDI application includes the eligible submerged lands and beds of all anabranches, braids, and channels that carry water from these rivers for the following land descriptions:
- Goodnews River, including Goodnews Lake
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks of the Goodnews River, starting at the confluence of an unnamed creek near river mile 78 within Section 3, Township 7 South, Range 66 West, Seward Meridian, including Goodnews Lake, downstream to the location where the river enters T. 10 S., R. 71 W., S.M.
- Igmiumanik River
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks, starting at the confluence with an unnamed stream within Section 19, T. 7 S., R. 65 W., S.M., downstream to its confluence with the Goodnews River in Section 35, T. 7 S., R. 66 W., S.M.
- South Fork Goodnews River
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks, starting at the confluence with an unnamed stream near river mile 25.7 within Section 3, T. 12 S., R. 70 W., S.M., downstream through Section 22, T. 12 S., R. 72 W., S.M.
- Tivyagik Creek
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks, starting at the confluence with an unnamed tributary near river mile 8.25 within Section 28, T. 12 S., R. 71 W., S.M., downstream to its confluence with the South Fork Goodnews River in Section 7, T. 12 S., R. 71 W., S.M.
- Unnamed tributary of Tivyagik Creek
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks, starting at the confluence with an unnamed creek near river mile 3 within Section 32, T. 12 S., R. 71 W., S.M., downstream to its confluence with Tivyagik Creek in Section 28, T. 12 S., R. 71 W., S.M.
- Middle Fork Goodnews River and Middle Fork Lake
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks, starting at the confluence with an unnamed creek at river mile 53 within Section 10, T. 9 S., R. 67 W., S.M., downstream and including Middle Fork Lake, to the location where the river enters T. 11 S., R. 71 W., S.M.
- Kukaktlik River and Kukaktlim Lake
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of Kukaktlim Lake and between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks of the Kukaktlik River, starting at the outlet of Kukaktlim Lake within Section 1, T. 10 S., R. 67 W., S.M., downstream to its confluence with the Middle Fork Goodnews River in Section 23, T. 10 S., R. 69 W., S.M.
Note: Submerged lands adjacent to uplands not owned by the United States are excluded from this application.
The BLM is seeking additional information regarding the water bodies in the State’s RDI application. Examples include:
- Photographs or videos capturing boats being used on the waterbodies
- Historical or present-day use of diaries, or verbal knowledge passed down through the region
- Information on the type of boat or watercraft used, and the time of year boats are/were used
- Hydrological data or photographs capturing waterbody characteristics such as depth, width, obstructions, or shallow stream sections
To view the Federal Register notice for this RDI application, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/ (Search Term: 2026-00035).
Public comments may be submitted through February 6, 2026, by:
- Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Bettie Shelby, Acting Branch Chief, Lands and Realty (AK-941), 222 W. 7th Avenue, Suite #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513
- Email: bshelby@blm.gov
- Hand-delivery: BLM Alaska Public Room, 222 W. 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513, during normal business hours (8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Alaska Time)