Corps seeks public comment on Final Environmental Impact Statement for Everglades Agricultural Area

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Published Jan. 24, 2020

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is seeking comment starting today on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Everglades Agricultural Area Southern Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area (STA).

The public can download the document from the Corps of Engineers website at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/About/DivisionsOffices/Planning/EnvironmentalBranch/EnvironmentalDocuments.aspx. Look for item #35 titled “Central and Southern Florida, Everglades Agricultural Area” located under the multiple counties section of environmental documents by county.

Comments will be accepted in writing until Monday, Feb. 24. Please send comments by email to EAAReservoir@usace.army.mil or by U.S. Postal Service mail to this address:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
ATTN: Andrew LoSchiavo
701 San Marco Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida 32207-8175

            The purpose of the project is to improve quantity, quality, timing and distribution of water flows to the Northern Estuaries, Water Conservation Area 3, Everglades National Park, and Florida Bay while increasing water supply for municipal, industrial and agricultural users to a greater extent than would be accomplished in the Central Everglades Planning Project authorized in 2016.  The plan would change the authorized Central Everglades Planning Project to achieve these benefits by reducing Lake Okeechobee water management releases to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries by redirecting approximately 370,000 acre-feet of water on an average annual basis south through the Greater Everglades.

            The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for this project was released for review on June 8, 2018, under the name South Florida Water Management District Section 203 Everglades Agricultural Area Southern Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area (June 2018).  The project has been conditionally authorized under Section 1308 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2018.


Contact
James Yocum
904-232-3914
James.A.Yocum@usace.army.mil

Release no. 20-003