[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11877-11878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6203]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Alligator Lake Chain & Lake Gentry Habitat Enhancement Project in 
Osceola County, FL

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps), intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the Alligator Lake Chain & Lake Gentry Habitat Enhancement Project in 
Osceola County, Florida.
    This action will address modifications to the regulation schedules 
for the Alligator Lake Chain (Alligator; Brick; Lizzie; Center; Coon 
and Trout Lakes), Lake Gentry; as well as Lakes Joel, Myrtle, and 
Preston, for the purpose of facilitating an extreme drawdown resulting 
in habitat enhancement. Muck removal, extensive burning and treatment 
of hydrilla are to be considered as complementary actions to the 
extreme drawdown. This intense level of lake management is needed 
because of heavy buildup of organic sediments on the lake bottoms, 
tussock formation, and dense growth of aquatic vegetation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and EIS can be answered by: William 
Porter, Planning Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 4970, 
Jacksonville, Florida 32232-0019, Telephone 904-232-2259; or Elmar

[[Page 11878]]

Kurzbach at (904) 232-2325; Fax 904-232-3442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. Authorization: The Flood Control Act, approved by Congress on 30 
June 1948, authorized flood protection and other water control benefits 
in central and south Florida. Specific reports which relate to 
Alligator Lake Chain & Lake Gentry Habitat Enhancement Project portion 
of the Central and Southern Florida project are as follows:
    (1) Public Law 858, 80th Congress, 2d Session, 30 June 1948. (The 
Flood Control Act of 1948 authorized project works in the Central and 
Southern Florida).
    (2) Public Law 780, 83rd Congress, 2d Session, 3 September 1954. 
(The Flood Control Act of 1954 authorized the remainder of the 
comprehensive plan project features as specified in house Document 
643.)
    (3) Public Law 85-500, 85th Congress, S. 3910, 3 July 1958. (The 
Flood Control Act of 1958 authorized project features as specified in 
House Document 186.)
    (4) The Kissimmee River Basin and Related Areas General Design 
Memorandum, Part II--Kissimmee River Comprehensive Plan.
    b. Study Area: Located in Osceola County, as a subset of the 
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, the Alligator Lake Chain and Lake Gentry are 
connected by a series of canals allowing water flow and navigation 
between the lakes. The South Florida Water Management District operates 
control structures to the north and south of the Alligator Chain to 
maintain flood protection around the lakes. Water from these lakes is 
discharged south to Lake Gentry, although more limited flow can be sent 
north towards Lake Joel. Parts of both Osceola and Orange Counties, 
Florida are affected by these lakes.
    c. Project Features and Scope: The EIS intends to address the 
modification of the existing water regulation schedule for the 
Alligator Chain of Lakes and Lake Gentry to allow an extreme drawdown 
in November of 1998. The Alligator Chain of Lakes and Lake Gentry 
presently fluctuate over a narrower range than they did prior to the 
construction of the Central and South Florida project. Lake level 
stabilization has contributed to the rapid growth of dense nuisance 
vegetation in lakeshore aquatic habitat, which normally supports 
numerous species of fish, waterfowl, wading birds and other wildlife. 
The density of this vegetation continues to degrade the quality of this 
aquatic habitat in an atmosphere of ever increasing demand for it as a 
resource. The proposed extreme drawdown for Alligator Lake Chain and 
Lake Gentry is required to improve the aquatic habitat. During the 
drawdown, approximately 4,245 acres of bottom sediment would dry and 
compact stimulating growth of desirable aquatic vegetation and 
increasing overall habitat productivity. To enhance these natural 
processes heavy equipment would be used by Florida Game and Fresh Water 
Fish Commission to remove, burn, and disc the muck and nuisance 
vegetation from areas where long-term lake level stabilization has 
resulted in aquatic habitat deterioration.
    The EIS will evaluate alternative plans, including the selected 
alternative plan and the no-action alternative, and determine if, and 
to what extent, implementation of these various plans may affect the 
surrounding environment. Alternative plans will be developed and 
evaluated based on economic, engineering, and environmental 
considerations. Preliminary alternatives may include, but are not 
limited to, several water regulation schedule modifications and their 
effects on: Protection of adjacent lands from flooding; water supply 
for agricultural and commercial tropical fish farm uses; and 
maintenance of the resource as a quality habitat for wildlife.
    d. Scoping: The scoping process as outlined by the Council on 
Environmental Quality is being utilized to involve Federal, State, and 
local agencies, affected Indian Tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and parties.
    A Scoping Letter will be sent to interested Federal, State and 
local agencies, interested organizations and the public, to request 
their comments and concerns regarding issues they feel should be 
addressed in the EIS. Interested persons and organizations wishing to 
participate in the scoping process should contact the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers at the address above. Significant issues anticipated 
include: Potential impacts to commercial tropical fish farming; flood 
protection and water supply for the project area; effects on water 
based recreation activity; impacts to avian, amphibian, and/or 
reptilian habitat; possible species or critical habitat listed under 
the Endangered Species Act. Public meetings held over the course of the 
study will be announced in public notices and local newspapers with 
exact locations, dates, and times.
    e. It is estimated that the EIS will be available to the public 
late spring 1998.
George M. Strain,
Chief, Plan Formulation Branch.
[FR Doc. 98-6203 Filed 3-10-98; 8:45 am]
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