[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 247 (Friday, December 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 94349-94351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30988]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


Public Scoping Meeting and Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for Proposed Pascagoula River Drought Resiliency 
Project, George County and Jackson County, Mississippi

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District (USACE) has 
received an application (File Number SAM-2014-00653-MBM) for a 
Department of Army Permit from the Pat Harrison Waterway District and 
George County Board of Supervisors to construct two water supply lakes: 
A 1,715-acre upper lake on Little Cedar Creek and a 1,153-acre lower 
lake on Big Cedar Creek, in George and Jackson Counties, Mississippi. 
The applicant believes that the proposed water supply lakes are needed 
to supply water to the Pascagoula River during future extreme droughts 
resulting from the effects of climate change and to maintain flow 
regimes necessary to meet critical environmental, ecological, and 
economic needs. The applicant estimates that the proposed project would 
impact approximately 1,201.7 acres of wetlands, 41.6 miles of stream 
channels, and 24.8 acres of open water. Based on the potential impacts, 
both individually and cumulatively, the USACE intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act to render a final decision on the permit 
application. The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to inform the 
public, agencies, and organizations of the time and location of the 
public scoping meeting and invite public participation in the

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Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.

DATES: The scoping period will commence with the publication of this 
notice. This scoping period for providing comments on relevant issues 
and factors that should be considered for study in the EIS will end on 
February 6, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by mail to the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Regulatory Division, Post Office Box 2288, 
Mobile, AL 36628. You may submit written comments by email to 
[email protected] or submit online at http://www.georgecountylakesEIS.com. Documents pertinent to the proposed 
project may be examined at the Web site located at http://www.georgecountylakesEIS.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael B. Moxey, Special Projects 
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at (251) 694-3771.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USACE Mobile District intends to prepare 
an EIS on the proposed Pascagoula River Drought Resiliency Project. The 
Pat Harrison Waterway District and the George County Board of 
Supervisors propose this project and are co-applicants for the 
Department of the Army Permit (Application Number SAM-2014-00653-MBM). 
The primary Federal involvement associated with the proposed action is 
the discharge of dredge or fill material into waters of the United 
States, including jurisdictional wetlands and streams pursuant to 
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344).
    1. Background: The applicant proposes to construct two water supply 
lakes located in south George County and north Jackson County, 
Mississippi as a drought resiliency project. The proposed upper dam is 
located on Little Cedar Creek, and the proposed lower dam is located on 
Big Cedar Creek; both tributaries to the Pascagoula River. The 
applicant's stated purpose for the two water storage lakes is to 
provide secondary water sources to sustain the Pascagoula River at a 
target minimum flow of 917 cubic feet per second (CFS) as measured at 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gage station 02479000 on the 
Pascagoula River at Merrill, Mississippi during extreme prolonged 
drought conditions through 2060. The applicant believes that the 
effects of climate change will increase drought severity, frequency and 
duration in the future. Severe prolonged droughts occurred in 1936 and 
in 2000. In 2007 the Pascagoula River fell below 917 CFS in mid-
November, while in 2011 the Pascagoula River approached 917 CFS in mid-
June and fell below 917 CFS for a brief time in early September. Water 
from the Okatibbee Reservoir, located in Lauderdale County, 
Mississippi, has been used to augment stream flows during low flow 
events prior to 2000. The applicant proposes to release water from the 
two connected lakes when insufficient flow occurs, to sustain the 
target 917 cubic feet per second (CFS) minimum flows in the Pascagoula 
River during prolonged severe droughts. The applicant would also strive 
to sustain recreational uses on both lakes to the greatest extent 
possible.
    2. Scoping and Public Involvement Process: The purpose of the 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scoping process is to identify 
relevant issues and factors that will affect the scope of the 
environmental analysis and alternatives in the EIS. All previous 
comments received by from Federal and state agencies, professional 
environmental organizations, and the public are being evaluated in this 
scoping procedure. Based on comments already received in response to 
the September 4, 2015 public notice, some areas of potential 
significant impact that may need to be studied in detail during the EIS 
process could include, but are not limited to the following:
    (a) Proposed water storage and availability;
    (b) Stream hydrologic and hydraulic regimes;
    (c) Secondary and cumulative Impacts;
    (d) Alternatives to the proposed action;
    (e) Threatened and Endangered Species;
    (f) Fish, wildlife, and critical habitats;
    (g) Cultural resources/historic properties;
    (h) Water quality;
    (i) Impacts to wetlands and streams;
    (j) Mitigation.
    3. Purpose and Need: The applicant's stated purpose for the two 
connected lakes is to provide sufficient surface water storage to (1) 
restore the sub-surface water table levels and to (2) allow the stored 
water to be released as needed during extreme prolonged droughts to 
maintain the Pascagoula River flow above the established minimum of 917 
CFS as measured at the USGS gage station 02479000 located on the 
Pascagoula River at Merrill, Mississippi through 2060, in light of 
projected more frequent, severe and longer droughts in the basin due to 
the effects of climate change. The applicant stated that maintaining 
the minimum 7Q10 flow (the lowest 7-day average flow that occurs on 
average once every 10 years) of 917 CFS is necessary for the river to 
meet critical environmental, ecological, and economic needs. In 
addition to its primary drought resiliency purpose, the Pat Harrison 
Waterway District proposes to operate and maintain the lakes for public 
recreational use.
    4. Alternatives: An evaluation of alternatives to the applicant's 
preferred alternative initially being considered includes a No Action 
alternative, alternatives that would avoid, minimize and compensate for 
impacts to the aquatic environment, alternatives utilizing other best 
management practices, and other reasonable alternatives developed 
through the project scoping process that may also meet the identified 
purpose and need. Reasonable alternatives could include, but are not 
limited to, alternate site locations for the lake, alternate site 
layouts that may have less impact on the environment, alternate sources 
of water to supplement flow in the Pascagoula River, or alternate 
practices to mitigate low flow events in the Pascagoula River. The 
scoping and evaluation phase of the EIS process will help in the 
determination of reasonable alternatives to be studied in details for 
the project.
    5. Additional Resources to be Evaluated: Resource areas to be 
evaluated that have been identified to date include the following: 
Potential direct effects to waters of the United States including 
aquatic species, environmental justice, socioeconomic environment, 
recreation and recreational resources, aesthetics, public health and 
safety, navigation, erosion and accretion, cumulative impacts, public 
benefit and needs of the people along with potential effects on the 
human environment.
    6. Public Scoping Meeting: A public scoping meeting will be held on 
January 24, 2017, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the George County Senior 
Citizens Building, 7102 Highway 198 East, Lucedale, MS 39452. The 
scoping meeting will begin with an informal open house from 5:00 p.m. 
to 6:30 p.m. to allow review of project information presented as board 
displays and other materials. At 6:30 p.m., the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE) will provide an informal presentation on the proposed 
project, and discuss the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. 
The USACE is soliciting comments from all interested parties on issues 
and factors that should be considered for the scope and content of the 
EIS. The USACE will announce the public scoping meeting through local 
news media and the Web page at

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http://www.georgecountylakesEIS.com at least 15 days prior to the 
meeting. Comments are encouraged from the public as well as Federal, 
state, and local agencies and officials, Indian tribes, and other 
interested parties so that the scope of the EIS may be properly 
identified.
    7. Coordination: The proposed action is being coordinated with a 
number of Federal and State agencies, including the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi 
Department of Environmental Quality, and Mississippi Department of 
Marine Resources. These agencies were requested by the USACE to be 
cooperating agencies for the EIS per Council on Environmental Quality 
regulations at 40 CFR 1501.6. Collaboration with other agencies, 
including state resource protection agencies, is anticipated during the 
EIS process.
    8. Availability of the Draft EIS: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
will advertise the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement when it becomes available for the public review.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-30988 Filed 12-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P