Can glacier ice be harvested?
Yes, because glacier ice is water occurring in a natural state, glacier ice harvesters can apply for either a water right or a temporary water use permit to get authorization to harvest glacier ice. Glacier ice is currently harvested from tidewater-calving glaciers in Alaska. When is permission required? When you harvest a significant amount of glacier ice, a permit is needed from the Department of Natural Resources. If you harvest a significant amount of glacier ice without a permit, you are guilty of a misdemeanor (AS 46.15.180). A significant amount of glacier ice is defined by regulation (11 AAC 93.970(14) as: • The use of more than 20 tons of glacier ice in a single day from a single source, or; • The regular daily or recurring seasonal use of more than two tons of glacier ice per day for 10 days or more per year from a single source, or; • Any glacier ice harvesting that might adversely affect the water rights of other appropriators or the public interest. The department issues t
