[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48488-48489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20005]


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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 Comprehensive Analysis of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes Drawdown 
and Habitat Enhancement Project, Kissimmee, FL

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), the

[[Page 48489]]

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the South 
Florida Water Management District intend to prepare a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the feasibility of 
implementing a plan for extreme drawdowns and habitat enhancement 
activities for the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Florida.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS may be addressed to Ms. Heather Carolan or Ms. Lizabeth R. 
Manners, U.S. Army Engineer District, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, 
Florida 32232-0019; Telephone 904-232-2016/3923.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Project

    a. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is located in Central Florida. 
These lakes have previously undergone seven extreme drawdowns; Lake 
Tohopekaliga in 1971, 1979 and 1987; Lake Kissimmee in 1977 and 1996; 
East Lake Tohopekaliga in 1990 and Lake Alligator in 2000. The 
drawdowns were designed to improve aquatic habitat that had been 
negatively impacted by flood control practices and nutrient enrichment. 
Following refill of the lakes the number of fish food organisms, sport 
fish and forage fish increased; new desirable aquatic vegetation 
communities became established; and organic sediments decreased in the 
lakes.
    b. The purpose of this project is to restore the environmental 
ecosystem of the lakes, which will provide habitat for fisheries, birds 
and other wildlife. Beneficial effects associated with the drawdown 
plan include bottom substrate improvements as organic build-up is 
reduced. This will lead to an increase in diversity and density of 
desirable vegetation. The drawdown will also allow the control of 
nuisance aquatic plants, such as hydrilla, water hyacinth, cattails, 
alligator weed, smartweed and pickerelweed, which proliferate under the 
unnatural static lake level conditions. In addition, the water quality 
of the lakes will be enhanced by the nutrient uptake and filtration 
abilities by the recruitment of native plant species. Restoring 
littoral habitat, which favors bass, will increase native fish species.
    c. Drawdown and in-lake habitat enhancement efforts in the 
Kissimmee Chain of Lakes should be conducted on a regular basis to 
mimic natural processes that would benefit the natural resources of 
these lakes. Enhancement activities may include muck removal, burning, 
discing and herbicide application to reduce dense vegetation, tussock 
formation and organic build-up on lake bottoms.
    d. In an effort to mimic natural processes the proposed cycle is 
for each lake to be drawn down every seven to ten years, which would 
mean rotating between lakes once a year. The rotating schedule will 
provide the benefit of supplying sportfish species somewhere in the 
area consistently and limit access problems to one area at a time.

2. Alternatives

    a. Several drawdown alternatives will be identified and evaluated 
during the study.
    b. Potential environmental resources and issues to be evaluated in 
the DEIS include project impacts on:
    (1) Fish and wildlife resources.
    (2) Wetlands resources.
    (3) Wildlife habitat & values.
    (4) Vegetation.
    (5) Water quality.
    (6) Surface & groundwater resources.
    (7) Endangered or threatened species.
    (8) Historical or archeological resources.
    (9) Aesthetics.
    (10) Nuisance and exotic plant species.
    (11) Downstream effects.
    (12) Air quality & noise.
    (13) Soils.
    (14) Navigation and recreation.
    (15) Freeze protection.
    (16) Local tropical fish farms.
    c. Because of the magnitude and duration of this project the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 
Commission and the South Florida Water Management District have 
determined that a DEIS should be prepared for the Project pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

3. Scoping

    The scoping process as outlined by the Council on Environmental 
Quality will be followed to involve Federal, State, and local agencies; 
and other interested persons and organizations. A scoping letter will 
be sent to interested Federal, State, local agencies and interested 
parties requesting comments and concerns regarding issues to consider 
during the study. Responses to this letter will help identify potential 
environmental impacts to be evaluated in the DEIS. Additional comments 
are welcome and may be provided to the above address. Public meetings 
may be held in the future. Exact dates, times, and locations will be 
published in local papers.

4. Schedule

    It is estimated that the DEIS will be available to the public by 
the spring of 2001.

Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register, Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-20005 Filed 8-7-00; 8:45 am]
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