[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49942-49943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24482]


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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 C-7 (North Dade) Canal General Reevaluation Report (GRR)

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), along with the South Florida Water Management District 
(SFWMD), intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for the feasibility phase of the C-7 (North Dade) Canal General 
Reevaluation Report (GRR).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be answered by: Paul Stevenson, Planning Division, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 4970, Jacksonville, Florida 32232-
0019; Telephone 904-899-5049/Fax 904-232-3442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    a. Authorization: Construction of the C-7 (Little River) canal and 
associated water control structure, S-27 was authorized by the Flood 
Control Act of 1948, which provided for construction of the first phase 
of a comprehensive plan for flood control, fish and wildlife 
preservation, regional groundwater control, salinity control, and 
navigation.
    The Energy and Water Development Act of 1995 authorized preparation 
of a GRR to review conveyance capacity of existing canal, document the 
quality of local maintenance, and to make recommendations for 
sufficient solutions to flooding problems within the C-7 drainage 
basins.
    b. Study Area: The C-7 basin is located in northeastern Miami-Dade 
County, Florida; the canal and associated control structure S-27 are 
previously constructed Corps' projects. The C-7 basin comprises 35 
square miles, and is approximately 11 miles long. The western portion 
of the basin lies in Area B, an area of relatively poor drainage, west 
of the coastal ridge, eastern Miami-Dade County. S-27 is a double gated 
concrete spillway located in C-7, which permits release of flood runoff 
and prevents over-drainage and saltwater intrusion through C-7.
    S-30 is a gated concrete culvert which prevents excessive seepage 
losses from Water Conservation Area (WCA) -3A by permitting higher 
stages in the L-33 borrow canal and supplies water from L-33 borrow 
canal during dry periods to maintain stages and satisfy irrigation 
demands in the C-7 drainage basin. C-7 canal discharges into northern 
Biscayne Bay, at Miami.
    c. Project Scope and Preliminary Alternatives: The primary 
objective of this project is to develop a total watershed plan, which 
identifies structural and/or operational modifications to the C-7 canal 
and the associated water management facilities, to improve flood 
control. While the project emphasis is to enhance flood control 
benefits in the project area, the GRR will also document the status and 
quality of maintenance on the existing project and identify 
environmental restoration opportunities in conjunction with proposed 
project modifications.
    Alternatives will be developed and evaluated based on the project 
objectives, environmental studies, flood control feasibility, and 
economics. Standard Corps' programs and SWMM modeling will be used to 
develop hydraulic models of the existing and any proposed flood control 
features.
    In addition to the without project and future conditions, four 
preliminary alternatives have been drafted which may be revised pending 
model results and public feedback. They include: (1) No action; (2) 
modifications to existing canal to increase conveyance where 
appropriate and possible; (3) installation of pumps to pump water 
eastward to tide, possibly in conjunction with canal cross-section 
modifications; (4) installation of pumps to pump water westward 
possibly in conjunction with channel modifications and a water 
treatment component.
    d. Scoping: The scoping process as outlined by the Council on 
Environmental Quality will be 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, requesting 
their comments and concerns regarding issues they feel should be 
addressed in DEIS. 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 concern for: maintenance of flood protection for the project 
area; water quality, particularly in the receiving waters of Biscayne 
Bay or WCA-3A; wetlands, fish and wildlife; saltwater intrusion into 
project canal and the groundwater and; threatened and endangered plant 
and animal species. Public meetings will be held over the

[[Page 49943]]

course of the study, the exact location, dates, and times will be 
announced in public notices and local newspapers.
    e. DEIS Preparation: It is estimated that the DEIS will be 
available to the public about January 2002.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-24482 Filed 9-28-01; 8:45 am]
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