[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 21, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 32306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15104]
[[Page 32306]]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule Study (LORSS) of the
Central and Southern Florida Project for Flood Control and Other
Purposes.
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,
intends to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) upon
completion of the feasibility study and prior to implementation of an
alternative regulation schedule for Lake Okeechobee, Florida.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the proposed action and draft EIS can be answered by:
Mark Ziminske, U.S. Army Engineer District, P.O. Box 4970,
Jacksonville, Florida 32232-0019; Telephone 904-232-1786.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Lake Okeechobee is a large, shallow,
subtropical lake, of 1,732 km\2\ surface area located in Central-
South Florida. Lake Okeechobee's drainage basin covers almost 12,000
km\2\ much of which is agricultural land, dairy and beef cattle to
the north, and the 280,000 ha Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA; mostly
sugar, rice, and winter vegetable crops) to the south. Major surface
water inflows to the lake are from the Kissimmee River, Harney Pond and
Indian River basins, Fisheating Creek, and Taylor Creek/Nubbin Slough.
Major outflows include evapotransporation, the Caloosahatchee River to
the west, the St. Lucie Canal to the east, and several canals draining
into the EAA and south to the Water Conservation Areas and ultimately
to the Everglades and Florida Bay.
The scope of this study is to consider a range of regulation
schedule alternatives for Lake Okeechobee in order to optimize
environmental benefits at minimal or no impact to the competing project
purposes, primarily flood control and water supply. The alternatives to
be considered include: The existing Run 25-3, Run 25-3 with Natural
System Model (NSM) demands, Run 22 AZE, Run 22 AZE with NSM demands,
and the Lower East Coast Regional Water Supply Plan (LECRWSP)
Alternative 1.
The current regulation schedule (Run 25-3) maintains lake surface
water elevations ranging from 15.65 feet to 16.75 feet and releases
water to the estuaries at relatively high lake stages, in a more
graduated fashion. Run 22 AZE is basically Run 25-3 with the addition
of a large Zone E, which allows for low level discharges at low stages
of 13.75 feet to 15.60 feet. The NSM demands put an additional water
supply demand on Lake Okeechobee by establishing targets for delivering
water to restore the Everglades to their pre-drainage condition. Runs
25-3 and 22 AZE with NSM demands would tend to lower the water surface
in the lake without changing the regulated water levels. The LECRWSP
Alternative 1 schedule varies from 14.0 feet to 17.0 feet and differs
significantly from the other schedules described above.
The scoping process as outlined by the Council on Environmental
Quality will be utilized to involve Federal, State, and local agencies
and other interested persons and organizations. A scoping letter will
be sent to interested Federal, State, and local agencies requesting
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 Corps of
Engineers at the address above. Significant issues anticipated include
concern for: water supply, continued flood control, agricultural
impacts, protection of the lake's environmental resources and its
downstream estuaries, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat
enhancement. Public scoping meetings will be conducted in the future,
the exact location, dates, and times will be announced in public
notices and local newspapers.
It is estimated that the DEIS will be available to the public in
July 1997.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-15104 Filed 6-20-95; 8:45 am]
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