The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announces a 30-day public comment period for the supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and Proposed Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for incorporation of backfill treatments constructed in the L-67C Canal associated with the Installation, Testing, and Monitoring of a Physical Model for the Water Conservation Area (WCA 3) Decompartmentalization and Sheetflow Enhancement Project, known as the “Decomp Physical Model” into the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) (South Phase). Comments are due Feb. 23, 2022.
Review the supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and Proposed FONSI for incorporation of the L-67-C Canal backfill treatments into the CEPP South Phase at www.saj.usace.army.mil/CEPPSouth.
Please submit comments via email by Feb. 23, 2022 to Melissa.A.Nasuti@usace.army.mil (recommended subject “L-67C Backfill Supplemental EA Comments”). Please call 904-232-1368 if additional assistance is needed.
Due to the size and complexity of CEPP, project implementation will involve the integration of multi-year construction through individual project partnership agreements (PPAs) or amendments to existing PPAs between the Corps and our partners at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
The Decomp Physical Model was a limited duration, fully controlled field test and was conducted pursuant to a Design Agreement between the Department of the Army and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), dated May 15, 2020, for the Design of Elements of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
The Decomp Physical Model features are located along a 3,000-foot stretch of the L-67A and L-67C levees and canals in WCA 3A and WCA 3B. The Decomp Physical Model included: (1) the construction of 10, 60-inch culverts (collectively called S-152) along a stretch of the L-67A levee; (2) three 1,000-foot backfill treatments (no backfill, partial backfill and complete backfill) located within the L-67C canal, (approximately 9,000 feet south, southeast of the S-152 structure on the L-67A levee) and (3) the gapping of the L-67C levee for 3,000 feet, directly east of the backfill treatments, to allow the flow of water from WCA 3A to pass through the culverts, across the backfill treatments and into WCA 3B. The Decomp Physical Model features are located in Miami-Dade County.
The 2010 EA and FONSI, prepared to support construction and operation of the Decomp Physical Model stated that the physical features were temporary and were expected to be removed. The current NEPA analysis is needed to evaluate potential environmental effects related to the L-67C canal backfill treatments becoming permanent project features of the CEPP (South Phase) and is the focus of this supplemental EA and proposed FONSI.
The Central Everglades Planning Project South is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and will construct infrastructure for operations to improve the quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of water flows to the Northern Estuaries, Central Everglades (Water Conservation Area 3 and Everglades National Park), and Florida Bay to aid in restoring pre‐drainage vegetative communities and habitat for fish and wildlife.
For more on the Central Everglades Planning Project South, visit: www.saj.usace.army.mil/CEPPSouth.
The Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) was authorized by Section 1401(4)1 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, Public Law 114-322, and amended by Section 1308(a) of the WRDA of 2018, Public Law 115-217.
For more information on the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), including project documents, visit: www.saj.usace.army.mil/CEPP/.