The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District opens public comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and proposed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) regarding the continued periodic renourishment of Segment II, a part of the Broward County Shore Protection Project (BCSPP). Public comment will be accepted through June 18, 2020.
The Draft EA and proposed FONSI for continued periodic renourishment of Broward County Segment II are available for review at the Broward County Shore Protection Project page at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/BrowardSPP.
The Corps will accept written comments through June 18, 2020 via email to Kristen.L.Donofrio@usace.army.mil (recommended subject line: "Broward County Seg II Draft EA Comments").
The purpose for the project is to provide coastal storm risk management through beach renourishment of the Segment II portion of the Broward County Shore Protection Project. The need for the project is driven by erosion along the shoreline, most recently from Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Erosion has reduced the width of the beach, increasing the risk for storm damages that are otherwise mitigated by the beach design. Periodic renourishment of the beach is required to replace sand along the shoreline in order to maintain the beach to its federally-authorized dimensions.
The shoreline of Broward County includes 24 miles of coastline and two coastal inlets. The Segment II shoreline extends approximately 11.3 miles from the Hillsboro Inlet south to Port Everglades Inlet, and includes the municipalities of Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes, and Fort Lauderdale.
The Preferred Alternative is the continued periodic renourishment of Segment II of the BCSPP and the Reach 1 shore protection and feeder beach feature via truck haul from upland sand mines. The upcoming renourishment event will include placement of approximately 413,000 cubic yards of sand along the 8.9 miles shoreline that was previously constructed, which includes all four municipalities, but just the northern portion of Fort Lauderdale.
Sand sources for the project will be from upland sand mine(s) and truck hauled to the beach fill area. Potential existing sand sources include E.R. Jahna Ortona Mine (Ortona), Stewart Immokalee Mine (Immokalee), Vulcan Witherspoon Mine (Witherspoon), and/or Cemex Davenport Mine (Cemex). The Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) also evaluates the use of the upland sand mine Garcia Family Farm, LLC in Henry County (Garcia Mine).
For additional information, visit the Broward County Shore Protection Project page at www.saj.usace.army.mil/BrowardSPP.