Management Unit 6I

D72

Clearwater &Osar Creeks

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General DescriptionIn 13.8 mile long Management Unit 6, the DenaliRoad crosses a broad glaciated valley, borderedby the Clearwater Mountains on the west and CrazyNotch on the east. On either side of the roadthe terrain is flat to gently rolling and coveredby high brush vegetation. To the north and west,the views are enclosed by the peaks of the Clear-water Mountains and the Alaska Range. The steepmountain ranges are in stark contrast to the flatforeground, and thus are dominant visual elementsthroughout this unit. To the south, the flatplain extends for miles to distant foothills.Because of the general lack of visual interest inthis direction, most of the viewer's orientationfocuses on the northern, mountain-enclosed scen-

The sinuous form of the esker bordered by Osar Creekgives this unit its unique character. Roadside inter-pretive information is neaessary to explain the geolo-gical feature to an untrained eye.

ery. In addition to the mountains, interestingwaterforms highlight this unit. Clearwater andOsar Creeks, as well as small glacially formedlakes, are scattered along portions of the road.Their meandering paths and sinuous shapes addvisual interest to the foreground views. Thelakes are also good sites for fishing, birdwatching and beaver observation.

The road in this unit is built on the top of twolong eskers, one of the several unique glaciallandforms characteristic of the valley. From thevantage point of the esker above the valleyfloor, there are interesting views of thedistinctive, glacially-shaped terrain.

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KEY-p. Turnout|̂ ~ ReclamationRec-Recreation/v\-Impact Mitigation

O Federal Land

Private Land

NORTH0

12 mi.

6 Clearwatcr &Osar Creeks

Assessment Units D35 — D40

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The scenery in this unit is much less dramaticthan other areas along the Denali and the land-form characteristics are much more subtle. Thevisual absorption capability is low because ofthe absence of vegetation screening potential andthe openness of the terrain. The land is alsomarshy in many areas which places a constraint onthe area's development potential.

At present, there is little development in thisunit. Recreation is, and has been, one of thearea's major land uses. Clearwater Creek camp-ground is situated on all four corners of thecreek crossing and an abandoned private camp-ground is located near Osar Creek. Severalmaterial sites constitute the only other evidenceof human use.

Land Ownership &Management ResponsibilityThe BLM manages most of the land in this unit aspart of the public domain; however, there is onefederal recreation withdrawal for the campgroundat Clearwater Creek. The privately-owned camp-ground at Osar Creek is the only private landalong the road. A 300 foot right-of-waytraverses the unit which is managed by DOTPF.The department also oversees several materialsites in this unit.

Visual ResourceManagement ObjectivesLand along the road in this unit should be

D74 managed in accordance with the objectives of:

retention, appropriate roadside management, andsensitive land use.

Retention: To retain the visual quality of thearea which, though the landforms are subtlerather than dramatic, is important to the over-all wild and scenic quality of the Denali Road.

Appropriate Roadside Managenent: To manage boththe right-of-way and the adjacent viewshed in amanner that is sensitive to the fragile scenicquality of the open landscape and attempts tomaintain its natural, undisturbed quality.

Sensitive Land Use: To foster recreational useof the area by improving and enhancing existingfacilities and encouraging the sensitivedevelopment of new ones; and to ensure thatother development in the unit respects thesensitivity of its scenic resources.

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ManagementRecommendationsRight-off-Way ManagementBecause of the complete visibility of all landwithin the right-of-way, its condition and main-tenance has a significant impact on the drivingexperience. Throughout Unit 6 the vegetationsurrounding the road consists of high and lowbrush that grow close to the edge of the road.There appears to be little or no active right-of-way management. Plant growth is contained atthe road edge and its low-growing character-istics means that there is no interference withroad visibility. As a result, the road blendswell with the natural surroundings and there islittle intrusion upon the landscape. Allowinglow brush to encroach upon the graded road edgeshould become a standard management practice for

DOTPF's road maintenance crews along this por-tion of the Denali.

• Prepare a visual impact assessment for any majordevelopment proposed to be located within thegreenbelt.

GreenbeltsThe openness of the landscape means that thecritical scenic management area is much widerthan the right-of-way. Because most of the landin the unit is publicly owned, a greenbelt canbe established and managed in conjunction withthe right-of-way to provide the needed scenicresource protection. A 1-mile wide greenbelt isrecommended for the full length of the unitbecause of the area's low visual absorptioncapability.

The greenbelt designation should not imply atotal prohibition on use or development; in-stead, the following guidelines would apply toall proposed uses:

• Minimize vegetation clearing or disruption (theright-of-way should be retained in naturalvegetation to the extent possible and alldisturbance minimized. In general, any newmaterial sites should be located outside thisarea.)

• Encourage recreational uses that do not requirefacilities development outside developmentnodes. Concentrate development at ClearwaterCreek, on the esters, and near the glacial lakeswhere the landforma and soils are conducive touse.

• Discourage settlement, mining and, mineralleasing within the greenbelt.

• Minimize the number of access roads through thegreenbelt and align them so they are sensitiveto topography and landform.

• Locate material sites in the greenbelt only ifwell-screened or otherwise hidden from view.

Land Use & DevelopmentAlthough this unit has lower intrinsic visualquality than most areas along the Denali Road,it is nevertheless an important unit in terms ofthe transitional role it plays between riverineand montane areas. Moreover, its openness andthe visibility of the entire valley make itsensitive to visible development. Therefore,any new land use or development should be guidedby standards designed to protect scenic quality.

Settlement is generally discouraged in this areadue to its low visual absorption capability. Inparticular, it is recommended that BLM not openthis area to settlement through one of itsdisposal programs. However, as the scenicresource values are lower here than other por-tions of the Denali, opening this area ispreferable to others with higher scenic values.In any case, development should follow guide-lines designed to protect visual quality, at thevery least using distance and topography toscreen development from view.

While allowed, mining leasing outside the green-belt should also be subject to the followingscenic management guidelines:

• Minimize land clearing

• Locate access roads to conform to local land-forms and topography

• Site all structures so as to minimize theirvisibility from the road D75

Recreation (Rec)

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With Its many lakes and creeks and opportunitiesfor fishing, camping or hiking, this unit is asuitable area for recreation use. These usesshould be located where the combination of ter-rain and natural features provide screening aswell as a desirable recreation experience. Dis-persed use is appropriate throughout the unit,but facilities development should be concen-trated in selected locations. Those areas iden-tified for additional use include ClearwaterCreek, several locations on the eskers near thesmall lakes, and the lakes to the west of CrazyNotch. (For a general discussion of recreationdevelopment guidelines, see the Findings andRecommendations for the Denall Wild and ScenicRoad.)

The following are recommendations for specificsites in this unit:

Kec.I the Clearwater Creek Campground straddles thefour corners of the creek crossing. Screenedfrom the surrounding area by the hilly topogra-phy, it is an excellent site for active recre-ational use. Currently popular as a pull-offand rest area, the site has good fishing andhiking opportunities. The campground design,however, is In need of improvement<, Each of thefour corners is an open gravel parking lotimmediately next to the road with no screeningor privacy. Neither are the campsites defined.The one vault toilet serving the facility isplaced next to the creek. All In all, the camp-ground presents an unattractive appearance.

The development on all four corners of the creekinhibits an orientation to the water since thereis always a campsite for a view backdrop.Therefore, two corners should be retained foruse, probably the two to the west,, and the othertwo should be reclaimed and revegetated. Theovernight use area should be pulled back fromthe river-T^either by expanding and redesigningthe site or locating it up the hill at Rec. 2.

The toilet should be relocated at the base ofthe hill where It can be better screened fromview. The creek side sites are preferable forday use because the area is open and privacylimited. The entrances to the rest area andbridge ends should be planted with low plants orbrush to better define the entrance and softenthe present harsh appearance. The bridge wouldblend more harmoniously with the surroundinglandscape If it were painted in brown, darkgreen or rust.

Sec., 2 Up the hill to the east of Clearwater Creek isan old material site which could be developed asthe overnight camping area or as an overflowarea for Clearwater Creek. It Is set off theroad In a screened location and has excellentviews from Its elevated vantage point. Accessis convenient and safe. The gravel pad providesa good foundation for site development; but Itrequires some leveling, site design andlandscaping. Although 1/10 mile from the creek,a trail could be easily provided that would linkthe two. The DOTPF also recommends developingthis site as a turnout.

This existing boating/fishing access site on asmall lake below an esker could be developed forregular use. The short road to the lake issteep and narrow, and if use continues, the roadshould be graded, the entrance enlarged, andsigns placed to note the entry as It Is around acorner that lacks clear visibility.

Rec.4 This old material site outside the entrance toCrazy Notch Is recommended for development as arest area or small, undeveloped camping area(2-3 sites). Distant views of the Talkeetnasand the foothills of the Clearwater Mountainsand several kettle lakes are the sites amen-ities. Several short trails could be developedacross some of the moralnal landforms. Sitedevelopment would require reclamation andcontouring of the gravel pit and some siteexpansion to the north. (This may be a siterecommended by DOTPF).

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Rec.5 The one private landholdlng In this unit Islocated In an area highly sensitive to develop-ment. The Jim Moore Campground is an open gra-vel rectangle the size of a football field,lacking landscaping or screening. Its locationon an open slope makes it visible along the roadfor several miles in either direction.Boarded-up buildings and general site disarrayindicate the facility is abandoned. The owneris encouraged to remove the old buildings andclutter. It would be desirable to reclaim thesite; but if use is to continue, the campgroundwould benefit from site design and landscapingto soften the existing hard edges and give someprivacy to the campground.

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This is a poor site for development because ofthe open terrain and absence of vegetation.Future development should attempt to avoid suchlocations.

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Turnouts (T)

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There are numerous roadside turnouts in thisunit , many of them created as a result ofmaterials extraction within the right-of-way.Once an area is cleared and the material sourceexhausted, sites have generally been left tofunction as turnouts. While turnouts are neces-sary to meet travelers' needs, this practice hasraised several concerns in this unit relatingto: (1) The number of turnouts and (2 ) turnoutaccess. . . .

(1) Retention or reclamation of turnouts. InUnit 6 there are gravel widenings as frequently

Road grading across turnout entrances creates a ridgeof loose rock that makes access difficult, evident atthis pull off which is recommended to contain an in-terpretive display about the esker. The litter barrelplaced in the center of the view is also distracting.

as every 1/4 mile, and generally occur at1/2-3/4 mile intervals. Most of these sitesare old road maintenance sites where theremaining pads form the foundation for the turn-out. The retention of all these areas is notnecessary, and, in fact, their sheer numbertends to increase the road's visual impact.Those sites that are most suitable as turn-outs — because of their adequate size, viewpotential, location with respect to adjacentturnouts, safe entry/exit, and ease of main-tenance — should be identified by the DOTPF aspart of their road management operations. Other D77

sites should be graded so their contours conformto their natural surroundings, or have accessclosed and then be allowed to revegetatenaturally or through replanting. These gravelsites are too numerous to identify individually,although many are noted on the assessment unitsheets on file at DNR. As part of defining anoverall maintenance program for the road, theDOTPF should identify sites appropriate forretention and sites for reclamation and thenmanage them accordingly.

(2) Safe and easy access to roadside turnoutsis extremely important for driving comfort andpublic safety. Present grading practices on theDenali Road create rough or impassable entrancesto numerous turnouts that do exist. Graders runtheir blades along the edge of the road creatinga furrow and ridge of gravel across the entireturnout entrance. The gravel is soft and looseand the ridges are sometimes 12 inches high,prohibiting use. It is impossible to leave theroad smoothly and, in some particularly badareas, there is the danger of getting mired inthe gravel. Thus cars stop completely outsidethe turnouts, creating hazardous driving condi-tions. This problem can be corrected by moresensitive and careful road grading. Gradersshould contour and smooth the entry/exit andsurface of the turnouts identified for reten-tion. This should become a standard managementpractice for turnouts along the road.

T-l This site is an existing gravel widening thatshould be retained because of Its interestingviews of the esker. Very little site Improve-ment is needed except for contouring and gradingthe entrance.

D78 T-2 This segment of the road is aligned along thetop of an esker for approximately 1.6 miles and

its elevated position in the landscape providesgood views of the Clearuater Mountains and thenearby glacial terrain. Because it is a goodvantage point for viewing the esker, this is agood site for an interpretive sign describingthe esker and the processes which formed it.BLM recommended this as one of its 18 inter-pretive sites in the 1976 Denali Highway Infor-mation Plan. DOTPF Included this as one of itsrecommended turnouts. The site is an existingturnout, with a bright orange litter barrel lo-cated in the center. The size is ample toaccomodate 6-10 cars. No major site Improve-ments are needed. The litter barrel isunsightly and out of scale with the open land-scape and should be replaced by a buried trashreceptacle or several shorter barrels located atthe edge, not the center, of the turnout.

The road enters and exits the esker throughsteep gravel cuts which enclose the road andcreate a pleasant sense of arrival or departureto this unique area.

T-3 This existing widening should be retained as aturnout. It has views of the Clearwater Moun-tains and a vista of Carob Chip Mountain. Onlyminimal grading is needed to Improve the site.

T-4 This turnout is recommended to take advantage ofthe panoramic views to the south of the rollingglacial terrain and distant mountains. Very fewimprovements are required except clearing somelow brush and site grading.

T-5 This DOTPF recommended turnout is located on asmall knoll and has good views. While it is agood site for a turnout, others nearby shouldtake higher priority.

1-6 Views of distant mountains and shallow valleysas well as safe and convenient road access makethis a desirable site for turnout development.Some clearing and grading are required.

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T-7 This recommended turnout has pleasant distantviews and is near several lakes which offer thepotential for some recreational use. Minimal

site development or maintenance Is required tomake the turnout usable.

T-8-10 These three existing turnouts on the esker onlyrequire grading. They each are expressive oftheir esker location and also offer views oflakes and distant mountains. T-9 is a partic-ularly large site with open and expressiveviews. This is a second priority site for asign interpreting the esker.

T-ll Currently, there are two existing turnouts, atthis location, one on either side of the road,providing access to lakes adjacent to the esker.

The small site on the north side should beclosed and allowed to revegetate, while thelarger site near the lake should be developedfor use. Filling a small ravine near the road,vegetative screening, and relocating theunsightly litter barrel would make this anattractive turnout. It appears that theDOTFF also recommends this turnout.

Material Sites & Reclamation (R)_____Materials sites are located at regular intervalsthroughout this unit. They are often locatedimmediately off the road because of easy accesswith little regard for their visual impact fromthe road. Active sites should be managed tomitigate their negative impacts while greatercare should be taken in selecting future sites.

• All new sites should be located outside theright-of-way and screened by topography, bermsor vegetation. Where possible, they should alsobe located outside the greenbelt. When glaciallandforms are used as a source—such as smallrooralnal features—the material should be takenfrom the side away from the view. In open land-scapes, new sites should be located on the sideof the road away from the major views. Sensi-tive material extraction also requires carefullocation and alignment of access roads to con-form with surrounding landforms.

R-l

When no longer in use, the sites should beassessed for their value as turnouts or restareas. If they are suitable and the need existsfor the turnout, they should be developed forthat use. Otherwise, they should be recontouredand/or have access closed and allowed to revege-tate naturally.

Whenever possible, active sites visible from theroad should be screened with vegetation or a.berta. Although others are noted on the assess-ment unit maps, one site In particular requiresimmediate reclamation:

When no longer In use, this site should havehigh priority for reclamation andrevegetation.

Impact Mitigation (M)Because it is an area crossed with numerousglacial streams, culverts are often required forwater drainage. Some of these are in need ofmaintenance.

M-l This eroding culvert serves a small tributary ofOsar Creek and is causing road settling anderosion problems. To eliminate the problem, theculvert should be adequately sized andredesigned and the road repaired.

M-2 This visually obtrusive culvert should bescreened with vegetation and/or painted anearthen tone to minimize the color contrast withthe landscape.

Roadway SigningThe road signs and mileposts in this unit are invarying states of disrepair and the milepostsare incorrectly placed. The mileposts should becorrectly calibrated and other roadway signsreplaced. D79