Management Unit 23

Tonsina River -Liberty Falls

E32

General DescriptionThis 11.7 mile portion of the Edgerton Roadleaves the terraced farmlands near Kenny Lake onthe west to cross the Tonsina River and climb theChugach Foothills, ending about four miles north-west of Chitina. In this management unit, theroad parallels the Copper River along the uplandterrace. Thus the river, with its braidedstream, broad river bed and the steep cut banksthat enclose it, plays an important role in thedriving experience. The rolling and forested up-lands to the east of the Copper River, with theiralternating dense stands of spruce and deciduoustrees, serve as the foreground for the distantWrangell Mountains. The Wrangells, and the peaksof Mts. Drum, Sanford, Wrangell, and Blackburn,

Dramatic views of the Copper River and the steep outbanks are characteristic of this part of the Edgerton,but some tree and brush clearing would enhance theviews. ., ^.. --,

dominate the skyline. The scenic quality of thisunit is very high, with constantly changing com-posite views containing the Copper River and theWrangells, which vary as the road winds its wayup the slopes of the Chugach foothills. Theforeground vegetation of spruce/hardwood forestand the rolling topography at times frames and atother times blocks views from the road, creatinga pleasant sense of sequential diversity. Over-all, the scenery and panoramic views in this unitare spectacular, providing many opportunities toexperience the variety and drama of the land-scape.

r

r

r

23 Tonsina River - Liberty FallsAssessment Units El 1-E18

ReclamationT- Turnout

State Owned Land

Federal LandM- Impact Mitigation

V-"View ManagementLUr Land UseG~ Greenbelt

e.c-3

E33

In general, the visual absorption capability ofthis unit is moderate. The topography is steep,but the dense vegetation permits some land useand development to be sited so that they will notdetract from the area's high scenic qualities.

Land use development in this unit is presentlyconcentrated at the western and eastern ends.Near the Tonsina River crossing and for approxi-mately one mile to the east, several large lotresidences line the road. Most of these homesare well-maintained or screened from the road byvegetation. However, there are several locationswhere old cars and ramshackle buildings near theroad clutter the view and detract from the area'shigh scenic qualities.

The Chitina Airport and DOTPF's Maintenance Sta-tion are located at the eastern end of the unit.While the airport is scarcely visible from theroad - using topography and trees as screens -the Chitina Maintenance Facility is situated nextto the road in an open area, creating some visualproblems.

Other land use in the unit is primarily recre-ational, as this is a popular area for sport andsubsistence fishing, rafting, and hiking.Liberty Falls Campground is located on a creekmidway through the unit. It is small and well-designed around a dramatic falls, but used farbeyond its capacity during the summer. How toaccommodate the need for additional facilities isone of the issues this study addresses.

Presently undeveloped, the Tonsina River crossingis used as an easily accessible recreational

£34 area.

Land Ownership &Management ResponsibilityMost of the land adjacent to the road in thisunit is privately owned, with the majority of itNative selected or in Native allotments. Publicland is limited to several small parcels of stateland near the Tonsina River crossing, a materialssite in Assessment Unit E-16 midway through themanagement unit, two right-of-way sites on eitherside of the Liberty Falls Campground, and thestate-owned Municipal Airport. In addition, theDOTPF manages a 200 foot right-of-way throughoutthis unit.

Visual ResourceManagement ObjectivesLand management decisions affecting this unitshould be guided by three concerns: retention,enhancement, sensitive land use and development.

Retention: To retain those scenic qualitieswhich make this portion of the Edgerton a specialdriving experience.

Enhancement: To enhance the viewing experienceby managing the vegetation to.maintain and openadditional views.

Sensitive Land Use and Development: To encouragedevelopment on selected lands adjacent to theroad so that it harmonizes with the area's highvisual quality and also helps to meet some of thedemand for additional recreational opportunitiesand quality residential sites.

rManagementRecommendationsRight of-Way Management& Impact Mitigation (M)

Because of adjacent private land ownership andsteep topography, many of the managementactivities affecting the scenic experience alongthe road will be the responsibility of the StateDOTPF. Three activities are of particularimportance and each is addressed in turn:maintaining vegetation in the right-of-way,view enhancement, and cut and fill management.

management practices incorporate the followingguidelines:

• Maintain vegetation to the road edge.

• Where trimming or cutting Is necessary fordriving safety. It should be done In a selectivemanner to obtain a softened, natural appearingedge. Both the depth of the cut strip and theheight of the vegetation cut should be varied toavoid hard edges • On curves only the trees onthe Inside edge of the curve should be trimmedleaving vegetation on the other side free to growcloser to the road.

9 Alternate the timing of vegetation maintenancealong the road by segments, so all are not In thesame stage of regrowch at the same time.

• Cleared areas next to the road should be revege-tated in low brush or flowering native plants.

• Remove all slash from cut areas.

| Maintaining Vegetation in the Right-of-Way. Inaddition to the magnificent views of the Copper

ij River and the Wrangells, the overall character ofI the Edgerton Road is enhanced by the immediately

surrounding natural vegetation, consistingprimarily of spruce/hardwood forest on upland

|T hills. DOTPF manages a 200 foot right-of-wayL through this unit and it should be their policy

to maintain as much native vegetation as possiblef in order to retain the undisturbed quality of the| road. Because of the steep topography on either

side of the road this natural strip can serve as, an effective buffer to future development of| private lands since the structures will generally

be above or below the line of sight.

I Present right-of-way management in the unit isL- good - low lying plants or high brush meet the

gravel road edge. Such sensitive treatmentf should continue. It is suggested that future

View Enhancement. While the right-of-way shouldbe managed to encourage continuous vegetation asclose to the roadway edge as possible, in somelocations trees should be thinned and brush kepttrimmed to open up views to the Wrangell Moun-tains. The sequential opening and closing ofviews adds interest to the driving experience.Both the road alignment winding through the Chu-gach foothills and the dense forest vegetationprovide the opportunity for this spatial diver-sity along the Edgerton Road. Trees can totally,however, obscure or partially block desirableviews which careful management can correct. Forexample, the existing turnout at the EdgertonHistoric Marker has a panoramic view of the riverand mountains but at the present time, foregroundtrees make it difficult to appreciate the entireskyline. Cutting these nearby trees would do E35

much to enhance this viewpoint. Selectivelocations along the road in this unit would bene-fit from similar actions. The boundaries of therecommended view management area are noted on themap. (See V-l).

Because of the difficulty of identifying everyview here, it Is recommended that the supervisoror foreman of DOTPF's maintenance and operationcrew work with a staff landscape architect eachyear to outline the season's maintenance program,identifying cutting and thinning locations andspecific practices to guide the cutting.

Cut and Fill Management. Building the road onthe slope of the foothills and also down the faceof the upland terrace created areas of steepcuts. In some locations, these were blastedthrough bedrock and the rough-hewn rock faces addto the appreciation of local geology and createvisually interesting patterns and textures. Someof these cuts, however, are through glacialdeposits which, though In dramatic contrast tothe rolling terrain are also highly susceptibleto erosion If not stabilized. Appropriate slopecontouring and revegetatlon are effective meansof stabilization. It appears that some cut banksalong the Edgerton are planted - either naturallyor human induced - and holding the bank well, yetseveral banks exhibit severe erosion problems.These require DOTPF's Immediate attention forcontouring and planting. Erosion control andbank revegetatlon should become an ongoing partof DOTPF's annual maintenance program.

H-l The steep cut banks here are eroding and showE36 signs of active sliding. These should be con-

M-2

toured and planted to provide bank stabilizationand reduce visual contrast.

A series of cut banks requiring stabilization andrevegetation to minimize existing erosion pro-blems.

PavingA chronic problem for recreational use of thisroad Is dust. The high silt content of the gra-vel surface, dry summers, frequent winds,increased summer traffic, and high speeds combineto make the east Edgerton a very dusty ride.This detracts from the scenic and recreationalopportunities - lakes, viewpoints, etc. - whicbare located at the roadside. This highway shouldhave a high priority for paving to help controlthis problem. The cost would not be prohibitivesince the existing gravel roadbed is in good con-dition. It would also be important to maintainthe existing alignment and narrow paving width,just as that which presently exists on the wes-tern Edgerton, to maintain the pleasant, recre-ational qualities of the road.

Land Use & Development (LU)______The generally steep topography In this managementunit places limits on private development. As aresult, it will likely be the areas near the Ton-sina River, the airport, and a few scatteredareas along the road where any future developmentwill focus. Some private development can be com-patible with the highway's scenic qualities and

This DOTPF maintenance station detracts from the panor-amic view across the Copper River. Better site design,screening, or relocation would be appropriate for thishighly scenic and extremely open area.

• Discourage development on steep slopes, par-ticularly If It Involves cutting or filling.

• Encourage large lot, dispersed development tomaintain the undeveloped character of the road.

• Encourage recreation-related developments, suchas public and private campgrounds at lakes orcreeks to help accommodate some of the area'shigh demand for such facilities.

• Any additional commercial or industrial useshould be located close to the airport and well-screened. ....... ., »,. -a.j

One development in this unit requires specificmanagement attention. - • •.-•-•-•

LD-1 Development on public land should set an examplefor activities on private land. The ChitlnaMaintenance Station, operated by DOTPF andlocated Immediately adjacent to the road near theairport. Is an open dirt pad for storing equip-ment and two office trailers. This site detractsfrom a panoramic mountain vista beyond the road-side clutter. Site Improvements are essential.If possible, DOTPF should move the facilitycloser to the airport building, which isreasonably well-screened behind a stand of spruceand aspen. The other option would be to land-

, ^ scape the site and reorganize the use of thearea. If not a permanent camp, the site shouldbe reclaimed, regraded, and planted when It is no

, longer needed.

landowners should be encouraged to keep the fol-lowing considerations in mind to both minimizethe impact of the road on their use and enjoymentas well as to reduce the impact of the develop-ment on the road's scenic quality:

Locate buildings out of view of the road, eitherbehind vegetative screens, or small hills orberras. Driveways should be kept to a minimumnumber and designed to reduce their visualimpact.

Greenbelts (G)

The pattern of private land ownership adjacent tothe road makes it impossible to effectivelyimplement a greenbelt throughout most of thisunit, and the dense roadside vegetation meansthat appropriate right-of-way management can bean effective strategy for retaining and managingscenic quality. However, there are two areas, E37

which because of particular scenic sensitivity,should be recommended for greenbelt designation:

G-l The Tonslna River crossing is a recreational nodeand a visual corridor to the Copper River.Because it is flat and open, private developmentwould be difficult to screen here. Therefore, itis recommended that there be established a 100foot greenbelt beyond the right-of-way for 1/4mile on either side of the river. Within thisstrip, private development and recreational usecan take place, but with additional concern forminimizing clearings and more concern forscreening.

G-2 For 1/4 mile on either side Of the road to theairport, • 100 foot greenbelt is recommended.This is an area with the first panoramic viewsafter leaving Chitlna over relatively flat ter-rain. Development within this greenbelt couldoccur but would be encouraged to meet highdevelopment standards:

• Minimize cleared areas.

• Screen buildings from the road.

• Align driveways with topography and consolidateaccess to minimize intersections with the Edger-ton Road.

• Retain as many trees as possible within thegreenbelt.

Along the rest of the unit it is recommended thatall development be set back 25 feet from theright-of-way edge.

Private landowners in these locations arestrongly urged to adopt the greenbelt concept andfollow the management guidelines. In addition toretaining scenic quality, it would also protectprivate property from road disturbance and pro-vide privacy. A design and management manualwould provide information on the greenbelt con-cept and identify and illustrate development

£38 guidelines.

Recreation (Rec)

This unit has high recreation values as well asan unmet demand for recreational opportunities.The area's activity tends to peak during theCopper River salmon season each summer. Whilethere are other campgrounds closer to Chitina andthe Copper River, this unit offers pleasantforested sites that are not plagued by the windsand exposure characteristic of the other sites.Two locations in this unit merit particularattention:

Rec-l Liberty Falls Campground. Right off the roadand surrounding Liberty Falls and creek, thiscampground is the nicest facility on theEdgerton. It combines privacy, easy road access,and a lovely setting by the falls. Because ofits amenities, the facility is heavily used Inthe summer. Frequently every available parkingarea is filled by numerous self-contained recre-ational vehicles and doubling up in campsites isnot uncommon. The question facing land managersis whether to enlarge this facility. The presentcampground fits in with the landscape In a sensi-tive fashion; it is scarcely visible from theroad and each site has a measure of privacy andorientation to the falls or creek. Expansionhere would be difficult If not impossible. How-ever, one of the two -right-of-way sites locatedon either side of the campground could bereclaimed to provide , additional camping area.The site to the west is the present trailhead forthe Liberty Creek Falls Trail and Is presentlyused for some camping. It would be possible toadd five to six sites'here. Major expansion Inthis area is to be discouraged. It is preferableto develop other facilities along the highway tohelp disperse use and retain the special,personal qualities of this present campground.

Rec-2 The Tonsina River Crossing is also a recreationnode, but an informal one, since there are nodeveloped facilities and the land is privatelyowned. The views, river access, and fishing,camping, and picnicking potential make this anideal location for a more active recreation

J

rsite. There Is enough available land on thenorthwest corner of the crossing to provide over-night camping set away from the river. In addi-tion, a day use and boat launch area could bedeveloped on the southeast or southwest corner ofthe river where there is level land. (It appearsto receive this use informally already). Theother corner could be left In its natural vege-tation and development on the northeast cornerwould be helped by some screening. The potentialfor additional development here merits furtherstudy. Since the land here may be Nativeselected, the area could be developed as a pri-vate recreational site. As long as permanentdevelopments were located, adequately behind thedense vegetation, they would not constitute avisually disruptive use.

Rec-3 A small lake near the road has private recreationpotential as the location for several smallrecreational cabins or a small private recreationfacility. Development density should be limitedbecause this is an exposed site. In addition,some roadside vegetation could be thinned toslightly open the view to the lake.

Turnouts (T)There are few turnouts within this managementunit to meet the travelers' needs for a safeplace to pull off the road for a driving break orto take advantage of a view. A number of sitesare recommended where safe access, ease ofdevelopment, and good views make them goodturnout candidates:

T - 1 This location has the potential to provide a pan-oramic valley view, as it has lovely vistas ofthe Copper River and surrounding landforms andgeology. Some Information on the land form andcharacter could be included as Interpretiveinformation at the site. It Is also 1/10 of amile uphill from five fenced graves!tea that arestair-stepped up the bluff and add an element ofhistoric and cultural Interest to- the drive,especially when driving west from Chitlna.

The interpretive sign could note these sites andtheir historic significance. A gravel pad for aturnout exists here already, thus minimaldevelopment Is required. This is a high-prioritysite for development.

T - 2 Another potential turnout site is located at ahigher elevation and also has excellent views ofthe Copper River. It Is an old sand storage siteand would require some filling and grading, trim-ming of foreground vegetation, and the possibleaddition of a'guardrail.

T - 3 This potential turnout has views of the valleyand Urangell Mountains and Is backed by Incre-dible rock faces. The site would require someexpansion of an existing gravel pad, grading, andsigning. It has good visibility and would make asafe pullout.

T - A This Is an existing sand storage site that pro-vides excellent views of Mts. Sanford, Drum, andWrangell. The site could be reclaimed by con-touring, grading and a possible addition of aguardrail. The foreground vegetation should bethinned to open the view.

T - 5 This existing gravel widening could be graded asa small turnout with an expansive valley view.However, the Chltina Maintenance Station Is Inthe foreground and requires screening or otherImpact mitigation to make the view as attractiveas it could be.

T - 6 The existing historic marker describing the storyof the Edgerton Cutoff Is located at one of themore spectacular overlooks of the Copper RiverValley and the Wrangell Mountains. The signs'story seems antlclimactic in the presence of thenatural scenery. Thus, this site should bedeveloped with an interpretive display of theWrangells, including a statement on their geo-logic history and role In the area's development,as well as a map naming the peaks. Foregroundtrees should be cut and thinned to help open andframe the views. E39

Reclamation (R)Although not a major problem in this unit,several material sites require some reclamationto minimize their impact on the scenic drivingexperience. In the future, material sites shouldbe located outside the right-of-way and wellscreened from the road.

R - 1 A large sand extraction site here should be con-toured and reclaimed when no longer in use.

R - 2 This large, unattractive gravel pit near LibertyFalls requires screening and/or reclamation whenno longer in use. Presently this site is highlyvisible when driving west from Chitlna.

E40

E41