INTRODUCTION 

 E. H. Follmann 



This Technical Report and the accompanying Gravel Removal Guidelines 

 Manual for Arctic and Subarctic Floodplains (Guidelines Manual) present data 

 analyses and conclusions resulting from a 5-year study of 25 floodplain 

 material sites in arctic and subarctic Alaska, and provide guidelines to 

 insure minimal environmental degradation when siting, operating, and closing 

 floodplain material sites. This study, its results and conclusions, and 

 these reports directly relate only to floodplains, although several aspects 

 may also be applicable in nonf I oodp I a i n locations. 



BACKGROUND 



A common denominator in all resource and industrial development is 

 the need for granular material; gravel is used worldwide for construction 

 projects and transportation routes. In the arctic and subarctic, however, 

 the presence of permafrost creates special construction problems that place 

 additional demands on the supply of gravel. 



Even slight alterations in the permafrost thermal regime caused by 

 surface disturbances can cause thawing, thermokarst formation, subsidence, 

 and erosional problems. Maintenance of the thermal regime is essential 

 when building or operating in permafrost areas, but especially in regions 

 characterized by fine grained soils with high water content. These latter 

 areas are highly susceptible to subsidence when surface disturbance alters 



E. H. Follmann is presently associated with the Institute of Arctic 

 Biology of the University of Alaska. 



