JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (Corps), will host a series of public meetings to discuss and seek input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the South Florida Water Management (SFWMD) District Section 203 Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Southern Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) study.
Interested individuals, groups and agencies are encouraged to attend one of the meetings to learn more and provide comments on the environmental review of the study.
Each public meeting is expected to last approximately from 6 to 8 p.m., beginning with an open house at 6 p.m., and a formal presentation at 6:30 p.m., followed by a period for formal public comment. Corps and Water Management District staff will also be available after the meeting to answer questions.
Tuesday, June 26
Lee County Hyacinth and Mosquito Control District
15191 Homestead Rd.
Lehigh Acres, Florida 33971
Wednesday, June 27
John Boy Auditorium
1200 South W.C. Owen Avenue
Clewiston, Florida 33440
Thursday, June 28
John F. and Rita M. Armstrong Wing
Blake Library
2351 SE Monterey Rd.
Stuart, FL 34996
Note: Use of the Library meeting rooms does not imply Library endorsement of the aims, policies, or activities of any group using the room.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available for review at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/SFWMDEAAReservoir
“Public engagement is an important part of the environmental review process, and we encourage all interested individuals, groups and agencies to attend one of the public meetings, review the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, and provide your input,” said Col. Jason Kirk, Jacksonville District Commander.
The Corps is accepting public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the South Florida Water Management District Section 203 EAA Southern Reservoir and STA study through July 24, 2018.
Submit comments by email to EAAReservoir@usace.army.mil
Submit comments by mail:
Stacie Auvenshine
U.S Army Corps of Engineers
Jacksonville District
P.O. Box 4970
Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019
The Corps has prepared a Draft EIS to evaluate and document potential environmental effects of the SFWMD’s proposed plan in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The draft EIS uses information from SFWMD’s environmental analysis which has been incorporated into the study as an appendix.
“We continue to advance our environmental review of the South Florida Water Management District’s EAA Southern Reservoir study,” said Kirk,. “The EAA Southern Reservoir will provide storage that creates beneficial flexibility in south Florida water management.”
As part of the EAA Southern Reservoir and STA environmental review process, an initial scoping period was conducted to solicit public input on the Corps’ development of the Draft EIS for the SFWMD’s Section 203 EAA Southern Reservoir and STA study. Public comments were accepted through April 30, 2018. A matrix of the comments received during this time is included within the Draft EIS. Furthermore, comments received on this Draft EIS will also be incorporated within the matrix upon development of the Final EIS.
There are two ongoing concurrent processes as part of the required federal actions on the SFWMD’s Section 203 EAA Southern Reservoir and STA. There is the current environmental review of the SFWMD’s study by the Jacksonville District, and a simultaneous review by the Administration. Section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 authorizes non-federal interests to undertake feasibility studies of proposed water resource development projects for submission directly to the Secretary of the Army. The SFWMD submitted their study to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on March 30, 2018.
Congressional approval of this plan will result in a Post Authorization Change Report to modify features within the Central Everglades Planning Project, which was authorized as a federal project by Congress in 2016.
Additional information on the SFWMD’s EAA Southern Reservoir and STA is available on their website at:
https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/cerp-project-planning/eaa-reservoir