Public Notice Notifications

The Jacksonville District currently has five categories of public notice notification mailing lists. If you wish to receive email notifications when new public notices are added to this page, please send a request to Regulatory Webmaster.  Each category is described below. Be sure to specify which list(s) you want to be included on.

Florida - This includes all public notices for projects being reviewed for Standard Permits within the State of Florida.

Antilles - This includes all public notices for projects being reviewed for Standard Permits within the Antilles area (this includes Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands).

Tropical Storms & Other Emergencies - These public notices provide information on procedures for emergency permitting requirements due to specific tropical storm events or other emergency situations.

Special Issues - These are public notices that involve the Regulatory program but which are generally not limited to one particular geographic area. These would include public notices for the establishment or modification of Restricted Areas/Danger Zones, re-issuance of General Permits or Nationwide Permits, changes to guidance and policies, etc.

Administrative Penalty - These public notices provide information associated with Administrative Penalties. An Administrative Penalty can be assessed to address violations associated with issued Department of the Army permits.

SAJ-2012-00712 (SP-JCP)

Published May 10, 2019
Expiration date: 5/25/2019

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:  The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. §403), as described below:

 

APPLICANT:   Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)

                        Mr. Michael Watkins

                        2100 W. French Avenue

                        Orange City, FL 32763

 

WATERWAY AND LOCATION:  The project would affect waters of the United States associated with the Blue Spring Run located in the Lake Beresford Hydrologic Basin (12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 030801011603) and the Lake Dexter-Upper St. Johns River Basin 10-digit HUC 0308010116.  This project is located along the shoreline of Blue Springs Run at Blue Springs State Park, in Orange City, Florida. The project is further located in Section 8, Township 18 South, Range 30 East, Volusia County, Florida.

 

Directions to the site are as follows:  From I-4 take S.R. 472 (Howland Blvd) east to Graves Avenue, and turn west onto Graves Ave and travel to US 17-92.  Then travel north on US 17-92 to W. French Avenue, travel west on French Ave. to Blue Springs State Park.  The spring is located at the west end of the park along the St. Johns River.

 

APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:   

Latitude      28.94445°

Longitude  -81.33978°

 

PROJECT PURPOSE:

 

Basic:  Shoreline Restoration

 

Overall:  Shoreline Restoration of Blue Springs Run in Orange City, Volusia County, Florida.

 

HISTORY:  Blue Springs has been home to a large number of manatees and is visited every year by a large number of visitors.  The manatees have created cantilevered banks along the north shoreline, and people swimming and climbing on the south banks have caused further erosion along with the natural erosion that takes place.  Furthermore, increased tropical storm damage has increased the amount of erosion and bank loss.  It has now gotten to a point that it endangers public safety and safety for the manatees.  This project is a restoration project aimed at restoring shoreline habitat which in turn will aid in promoting public safety, better water quality health and habitat value.

 

EXISTING CONDITIONS:  The existing shoreline along Blue Springs, on the north side especially, is a steep drop off with primarily hardwoods and cabbage palms, with some of the forested species falling into the spring.  The south side is similar, but has a boardwalk along the slope in some areas. There are sections on both sides that are losing vegetation to erosion. The spring has little vegetation remaining in it, and there have been several projects trying to restore vegetation (eelgrass). Hopefully this restoration plan will provide habitat and structure for some vegetation to regain a foothold.

 

PROPOSED WORK:  The applicant seeks authorization to construct shoreline restoration components along the banks of Blue Springs Run in three zones; Zone 1
(north side 666'), Zone 2 (south side 104'), and Zone 3 (boil 230').  The components will consist of; installing toe wood, riprap, field stone, sand (geobags and vegetated reinforced soil slopes (VRSS)), and coir logs.  Furthermore, the VRSS component will have a diverse species planting geared to mimic the natural surroundingsd; and the riprap and field stone will be placed to provide habitat niches to enhance the toe wood placement.  All the components will work together to mimic natural habitat and provide support to the failing shoreline for long-term health of the system.  There will be a minor dredging component to take sediment that has eroded into the run and utilize it for the sand fill required for the stabilization efforts.  The proposed work is to be completed per the attached exhibits.

 

AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION:  The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:

 

“This project is a shoreline restoration project and the goal is habitat restoration, therefore the impacts to the aquatic environment will be minimal and overall beneficial.”

 

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION:  The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:

 

“Due to the relatively low impact to the aquatic environment, and beneficial nature of the project, no mitigation is proposed.”

 

CULTURAL RESOURCES:  The Corps is not aware of any known historic properties within the permit area, except for the historical structures in the uplands adjacent on the south side, and a few remaining pieces of structures along the south bank.  The applicant (FDEP) has stated that the proposed activities are not meant to have any impact on any historic resources.  By copy of this public notice, the Corps is providing information for review.  Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts is subject to review by and coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer and those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area.

 

ENDANGERED SPECIES:  The Corps has determined the proposed shoreline placement may affect, but is not likely to affect the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), pursuant to review of the “State of Florida Effect Determination Key for the Manatee in Florida” (April 2013).  Review of the Manatee key resulted in the following sequential determination: A>B> may affect.  The Corps will consult with the USFWS pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

 

The Corps has determined the proposal would have no effect on any other listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat.

 

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT (EFH):  This notice initiates consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996.   Our initial determination is that the proposed action would have no impact on EFH.  Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

 

NOTE:  This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant.  This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program.  The jurisdictional line has not been verified by Corps personnel.

 

AUTHORIZATION FROM OTHER AGENCIES:  Water Quality Certification may be required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and/or one of the state Water Management Districts.

 

COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District through the Cocoa Permits Section, 400 High Point Drive, Suite 600, Cocoa, FL  32926 within 15 days from the date of this notice.

 

The decision whether to issue or deny this permit application will be based on the information received from this public notice and the evaluation of the probable impact to the associated wetlands.  This is based on an analysis of the applicant's avoidance and minimization efforts for the project, as well as the compensatory mitigation proposed.

 

 

 

QUESTIONS concerning this application should be directed to the project manager, John Palmer, in writing at the Cocoa Permits Section, 400 High Point Drive, Suite 600, Cocoa, FL  32926, by electronic mail at John.Palmer@usace.army.mil, by fax at (321) 504-3803, or by telephone at (321) 504-3771, extension 10.

 

IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: Preliminary review of this application indicates that an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. Coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Marine Fisheries Services, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and concerned citizens generally yields pertinent environmental information that is instrumental in determining the impact the proposed action will have on the natural resources of the area. By means of this notice, we are soliciting comments on the potential effects of the project on threatened or endangered species or their habitat

 

EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act of the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.

 

The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) 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. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

 

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: In Florida, the State approval constitutes compliance with the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan. In Puerto Rico, a Coastal Zone Management Consistency Concurrence is required from the Puerto Rico Planning Board, in the Virgin Islands, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources permit constitutes compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Plan.

 

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: Any person may request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing.