[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19737-19738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09480]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Joint Notice of Availability for the Draft Matagorda Ship Channel 
Project Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact 
Statement

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District (USACE) announces the 
release of the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental 
Impact Statement (DIFR-EIS) for the Tentatively Selected Plan of the 
Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project, Calhoun and Matagorda 
Counties, TX. The DIFR-EIS documents the existing condition of 
environmental resources in and around areas considered for development, 
and potential impacts on those resources as a result of implementing 
the alternatives.

DATES: The Galveston District will hold a public meeting for the DIFR-
EIS on May 15, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. USACE will accept written 
public comments on the DIFR-EIS from May 7, 2018 to June 21, 2018. 
Comments on the DIFR-EIS must be postmarked by June 21, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The Public Meeting will be held at the Bauer Exhibit 
Building, 186 Henry Barber Way, County Road 101, Port Lavaca, TX 77979.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments regarding the 
proposed draft EIS should be addressed to USACE, Galveston District, 
Attn: Dr. Harmon Brown, Environmental Compliance Branch, Regional 
Planning and Environmental Center, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX 77553-
1229; (409) 766-3837; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: The lead agency for this proposed action is USACE. This 
study has been prepared under the authority of Section 216 of the 1970 
Flood Control Act (Pub. L. 91-611), as amended. The non-Federal sponsor 
is the Calhoun Port Authority.
    Background: This DIFR-EIS was prepared as required by the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to present an evaluation of potential 
impacts associated with the Matagorda Ship Channel (MSC) Project 
Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP). The USACE and the non-Federal sponsor 
for the study, the Calhoun Port Authority, have conducted this study 
and prepared the DIFR-EIS. The purpose of this project is to reduce 
transportation costs and increase operational efficiencies of maritime 
commerce movement through the Port. The majority of deep-draft ships 
using the MSC have design drafts in excess of the operating depth of 
the channel. By expanding channel dimensions, cargo vessels could 
reduce or eliminate light loading measures, and larger cargo vessels 
could begin calling on the Port and adjacent facilities.
    The need for changes to the MSC is derived from an analysis of 
current and projected vessel transits, cargo tonnage, and capacity at 
existing and proposed terminal facilities. This need is becoming more 
critical given increasing levels of maritime traffic, increasing vessel 
size, and the desire of Port users to capture transportation 
efficiencies. By expanding channel dimensions, cargo vessels could 
reduce or eliminate light loading measures, and larger cargo vessels, 
unable to transit the existing channel configuration, could begin 
calling on the Port and adjacent facilities.
    The 26-mile MSC is located 125 miles southwest of Galveston, Texas 
and 80 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. The northern reach of 
the MSC is located in Calhoun County and the southern reach and 
Entrance Channel are in Matagorda County. The MSC is comprised of an 
Entrance Channel about

[[Page 19738]]

four miles long from the Gulf through a man-made cut across Matagorda 
Peninsula, with dual jetties at the entrance from the Gulf. The Gulf 
Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) intersects the channel approximately 2.5 
miles north of the cut through Matagorda Peninsula. The bay-side 
channel is about 22 miles long across Matagorda and Lavaca Bays to 
Point Comfort with a turning basin at Point Comfort.
    Offshore (Entrance Channel), the channel has a 300 foot (ft) bottom 
width, 10 (Horizontal): 1(Vertical) (H:V) side-slopes, and is 
maintained at a depth of 40 ft Mean Low Low Water (MLLW) plus three 
feet of advance maintenance depth and two feet of allowable over-depth. 
Through Matagorda Peninsula, the MSC is authorized to a depth of 38 ft 
MLLW, with a 300 ft bottom width. Generally, in Matagorda and Lavaca 
Bays, the channel has a 200 ft wide bottom width with 3H:1V side-slopes 
and is authorized to a project depth of 38 ft, plus two feet of advance 
maintenance depth and an additional two feet of allowable over-depth 
outside the advance maintenance dredging prism. The primary turning 
basin is maintained to a depth of 38 ft MLLW, and is 1,000 ft by 1,000 
ft. Adjacent to the primary turning basin, there is also a 1,279 ft 
extension that is from the turning basin limit and runs along both the 
north and south sides of the Calhoun Port Authority pier. Mean natural 
water depth in Matagorda Bay is approximately 13 ft, while depth in the 
adjacent bays ranges from seven to eight feet.
    Recommended Plan: The TSP entails deepening the channel to 47 ft 
MLLW, widening the entrance channel to 600 ft and the main channel to 
350 ft. The size of the turning basin would be increased to 1,200 ft.
    A final decision will be made following the reviews and higher-
level coordination within the USACE to select a plan for feasibility-
level design and recommendation for implementation. The decision will 
be documented in the Final Integrated Feasibility Report (FIFR)-EIS. A 
supplemental DIFR-EIS would not likely be produced unless there are 
substantial design changes that significantly alter environmental 
impacts. Coordination with the natural resource agencies will continue 
throughout the study process.
    Project Impacts and Environmental Compliance: The recommended plan 
would result in the loss of approximately 19 acres of wetlands and 133 
acres of oyster reef. Impacts would be fully compensated with the 
restoration of estuarine emergent marsh and oyster reef in the amount 
determined during final feasibility planning. Conservation measures 
identified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will be considered during this 
process. The proposed project is not expected to adversely affect 
federally listed threatened or endangered species.
    The impact analysis determined there would be only minor impacts to 
soils and waterbottoms, water quality, turbidity, protected wildlife 
species (i.e., marine mammals, and migratory birds), benthic organisms, 
commercial and recreational fisheries, essential fish habitat, coastal 
barrier resources, air quality, and noise. No impacts to floodplains 
and flood control, salinity levels, protected/managed lands, or 
historic and cultural resources are anticipated. No impacts to minority 
or low-income populations are expected, and the proposed project would 
provide a long-term economic benefit to the shipping industry by 
improving efficiency and safety of commercial traffic in the Matagorda 
Ship Channel.
    Solicitation of Comments: The USACE is soliciting comments from the 
public, Federal, State, and local agencies and officials, Indian 
tribes, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate 
the impacts of this proposed activity. Comments will be used in 
preparation of the FIFR-EIS.
    Document Availability: Compact disc copies of the DIFR-EIS are 
available for viewing at the following libraries:
    Matagorda Branch Library, 800 Fisher St., Matagorda, TX 74457.
    Calhoun County Public Library, 200 West Mahan St., Port Lavaca, TX 
77979.
    The document can also be viewed and downloaded from the Galveston 
District website: http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Planning-Environmental-Branch/Documents-for-Public-Review/.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-09480 Filed 5-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3710-KF-P