[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 115 (Monday, June 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32589-32591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15683]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for the Indian River Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(Corps) intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
the Indian River Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study. The study is a
cooperative effort between the Corps and the South Florida Water
Management District (SFWMD) which is also a cooperating agency for this
DEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Traxler, 561-683-2178, or Elmar
Kurzbach, 904-232-2325 Environmental Branch, Planning Division, P.O.
Box 4970, Jacksonville, Florida 32232-0019.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: a. The Central and Southern Florida (C&SF)
Project is a multi-purpose project which was first authorized in 1948
to provide flood control, water control, water supply, and other
services to the area which stretches from around Orlando to Florida Bay
(the southern part of the Florida peninsula). The project has performed
its intended purposes well. However, the project has also contributed
to the decline of the south Florida ecosystems. The purpose of the C&SF
Project Comprehensive Review Study is to holistically re-examine the
C&SF Project to determine the feasibility of providing water resources
infrastructure that supports the sustainability of south Florida
ecosystems. Specifically, the study will investigate structural and
operational modifications to the C&SF Project to improve the quality of
the environment; protect the aquifer; improve the integrity,
capability, and conservation of urban and agricultural water supplies;
and improve other water-related purposes. The C&SF Reconnaissance
Report described a number of potential feasibility studies including
the Indian River Lagoon Restoration.
b. The geographic area encompassed by the Indian River Lagoon
Restoration Feasibility Study is generally described as hydrologically
removed from the Everglades and Florida Bay ecosystems. The only
existing hydraulic connection between those ecosystems is the project
Canal (C-44 or St. Lucie Canal) which discharges water from Lake
Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary. The Comprehensive Review Study
will evaluate alternative regulation schedules for Lake Okeechobee on a
comprehensive system-wide basis with due consideration being given to
the needs of St. Lucie Estuary and Indian River Lagoon. These two
studies will be underway concurrently, the Lake Okeechobee regulation
schedules evaluated in the Comprehensive Review Study will be
incorporated into the specific benefits and impacts analysis performed
for alternatives considered in this study. Similarly, system-wide
benefits identified by plan alternatives evaluated in this study will
be incorporated into the Comprehensive Review Study. A plan recommended
in this study can be considered as a separable element to the overall
comprehensive plan for restoration of South Florida.
c. The Indian River Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study will
incorporate components previously identified in the C&SF Project
Comprehensive Review Study Reconnaissance Report. Known concepts that
will be considered in this feasibility study are summarized in the
following paragraphs.
Alternative Actions to be Considered in the Indian River Lagoon
Feasibility Study
Alternatives to consider include no action, non-structural
measures, and the structural components discussed below, as well as
potential, as-yet-unidentified measures or combinations of features to
be developed during the study.
Water Preserve Areas (Regional Attenuation Facilities)
a. The Water Preserve Area (WPA) concept, referred to in the
Reconnaissance Report as Regional Attenuation Facilities (RAFs), would
provide for the diversion of surplus rainfall runoff from the C-23, C-
24, C-25, and C-44 drainage basins to storage areas where the water
could be treated prior to discharge for environmental base flow for
estuarine and other water supply purposes. RAF's would also attempt to
reduce the damaging effects of uncontrolled basin runoff during storm
events. The reconnaissance phase of the C&SF Project Comprehensive
Review Study investigated concepts to capture and store excess surface
waters by backpumping stormwater that is normally released directly to
tide through the C&SF Project canal system into WPA's along the eastern
edge of the Water Conservation Areas. Although the WPA concept for the
upper east coast area has not been fully formulated or designed, the
concept is analogous to the proposed Water Preserve Areas for the lower
east coast which are very important components of the Comprehensive
Review Study. These WPA's are expected to serve a number of objectives,
including improved water supply for environmental base flow to the
estuary, improved water supply for urban and agricultural use,
increased short hydroperiod wetlands, reduced sediment loading to the
estuary and improved flow control in the region.
b. The Water Preserve Area Task Force jointly established by Martin
and St. Lucie County Commissioners has completed a preliminary study of
potential locations for WPAs to address the much needed upland
retention of stormwater runoff to prevent further degradation of the
Indian River Lagoon
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and St. Lucie River. The WPA Task Force identified 20 potential sites
totaling approximately 65,600 acres. Sites were classified according to
basic environmental and engineering design characteristics. The WPA
Task Force draft report was published on August 31, 1995 and updated on
December 31, 1996. The Task Force recommendations will be investigated
further during this feasibility study.
c. Alternative WPA sites will be studied to identify other
potential sites that may be less costly, less impacting on wetlands or
provide additional water uses. In addition, individual upland runoff
storage could be divided among the sub-basins of the study area,
interconnected by the existing canal networks, to allow water transfer
between sub-basins. Various combinations of facilities and operation
scenarios will be evaluated during this feasibility study.
Upper East Coast Flowway (C-131)
a. The concept presented in the reconnaissance report included a
10,500 acre water quality treatment facility (flowway) located at the
western juncture of Martin and St. Lucie counties, and a feature that
would allow excess treated water to be backpumped into Lake Okeechobee
when other needs are being met.
b. The C-131 concept was first documented in the Survey-Review
Report on Central and Southern Florida Project Martin County Florida,
September 22, 1967. It was further discussed in the Corps' Central and
Southern Florida Project, Part III, Supplement II, General Design
Memorandum (GDM), Martin County (St. Lucie County Water Supply
Element), dated June 1984. The basic plan in the GDM was the
backpumping of stormwater from C-23, C-24, and C-25 through a flowway,
or nutrient consuming marsh, before discharging the water into Lake
Okeechobee through the proposed C-131 canal. This concept will be
revisited during the feasibility study. The C-131 canal plan was
deferred from further consideration until the completion of other water
resource studies which would assure the availability of water for
irrigation uses in the general area.
On-Site Detention/Retention
On-site detention/retention is similar to the water preserve area
proposal except that the detention/retention facilities would generally
be individually constructed on privately developed land as opposed to
large publicly owned regional facilities. The analysis conducted by
this study will assume that the on-site facilities will be designed
according to the applicable regulatory criteria of the SFWMD. On a site
by site basis, benefits similar to those provided by RAF's may be
realized. Stormwater discharges would be reduced and water quality
would be improved. On-site detention/retention could also be designed
to provide water supply benefits. However, any water supply benefits
would probably be limited to the owner of the land where the on-site
facility was located. The present study will evaluate whether a
sufficient number of on-site facilities could significantly reduce
stormwater discharges and improve water quality enough to benefit St.
Lucie Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon. This alternative would
require regulatory action by SFWMD. It is included in this study to
evaluate the cost effectiveness of on-site detention and will be
compared to providing regionally based solutions.
St. Lucie Flowway
a. The St. Lucie Flowway proposed in the reconnaissance study would
capture some excess runoff in the C-44 basin that is now diverted to
tide and divert the flow to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
(Water Conservation Area 1). The flowway would originate at C-44 near
Indiantown and divert flows south through the Corbett Wildlife
Management Area to the proposed Everglades Construction Project divide
structure S-316 that is intended to divert flows south to WCA-1.
Diverted water would then be available for use in the Everglades system
via WCA-1. The reconnaissance study also concluded that alternative
sites for the flowway should be investigated to minimize adverse
effects on existing natural areas, such as the Corbett Wildlife
Management Areas. An alternative proposed in the reconnaissance study
was to divert excess C-44 basin runoff to the north to a proposed
regional attenuation facility.
b. The St. Lucie Flowway can be expected to serve a number of
objectives including water quality improvement, increased supply,
restoration of short hydroperiod wetlands, reduced sediment loading to
the estuary and improved flood control.
Removal of St. Lucie Organic Sediments
a. Fine, organic-rich sediments (ooze or muck) have accumulated in
the St. Lucie Estuary. Organic sediments, which are carried to the
estuary as suspended load through the C-44, C-23 and C-24 canals,
settle out in the estuary as the result of the interaction between the
fresh and estuarine water. The highly organic sediment depletes the
dissolved oxygen in the water column through natural chemical
processes. The fine particulate sediments, composed of organic matter
and silt, can also be re-suspended in the water column by wind and
current action, creating turbidity conditions which diminish light
penetration needed to maintain seagrass communities.
b. In a 1994 report on a muck removal demonstration project, the
South Florida Water Management District concluded that large-scale
sediment removal may improve water quality by reducing re-suspension of
fine sediments during periods of physical disturbance, and would reduce
oxygen demands in the water column. Further, exposing a courser grained
substrate along the littoral shelf may promote a more diverse and
abundant benthic macroinvertebrate community which would increase
feeding opportunities for bottom feeding fish. However, the report
recommended that further studies be undertaken prior to proceeding with
the demonstration project. This study will further investigate the
feasibility of a muck removal project.
Water Supply Alternatives
The exiting C&SF Project was designed to provide regional water
supply for the study area. Consequently, alternatives developed for
this feasibility study will identify urban and agricultural water
supply demands and will include water supply features to help meet
identified regional needs, including environmental needs and the
potential conflicts that this may create with other water users. All of
the alternatives described above have features related to the C&SF
Project that are consistent with water supply and will be further
evaluated as part of the plan formulation process during this
feasibility study. These alternatives could be further developed for
water supply by adding features such as aquifer storage and recovery.
Issues
The DEIS will consider impacts on protected species, wetlands
health and safety, water quality, aesthetics and recreation, fish and
wildlife resources, cultural resources, energy conservation, land use,
socioeconomic resources, and other impacts identified through scoping,
public involvement, and interagency coordination.
Scoping
A scoping letter was sent to interested parties on December 2,
1996. In addition, all parties are invited to
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participate in the scoping process by identifying any additional
concerns on issues, studies needed, alternatives, procedures, and other
matters related to the scoping process. At this time, there are no
plans for a public scoping meeting.
Public Involvement
We invite the participation of affected Federal, state and local
agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private
organizations and parties.
Coordination
The proposed action is being coordinated with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service under
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, with the FWS under the Fish
and Wildlife Coordination Act, and with the State Historic Preservation
Officer under the Natural Historic Preservation Act. On a working
level, the proposed action is being conducted by an interdisciplinary/
interagency team combining local, state, and federal organizations.
Other Environmental Review and Consultation
The proposed action would involve evaluation for compliance with
guidelines pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act;
application (to the State of Florida) for Environmental Resource
Permits pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act; certification
of state lands, easements, and rights of way; and determination of
Coastal Zone Management Act consistency.
Agency Role
As cooperating agency, non-Federal sponsor, and leading local
expert; SFWD will provide extensive information and assistance on the
resources to be impacted and alternatives.
DEIS Preparation
It is estimated that the DEIS will be available to the public in
September, 1999.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-15683 Filed 6-13-97; 8:45 am]
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