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) as described below:
APPLICANT: City of Clermont
c/o James Kinzler, Director
Capital Planning, Grants and Projects
685 West Montrose Street
Clermont, Florida 34711
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Lake Minneola. The project site is located along the shoreline of Lake Minneola, east of County Road 561 (Lake Minneola Shores), approximately 0.5 mile south of the intersection of County Road 565A and County Road 561 in Section 14, Township 22 South, Range 25 East in the City of Clermont, Lake County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From FL-50 W, turn north on 12th Street (12th Street becomes Lake Minneola Shores). The project site is just past the roundabout associated with Lake Hiawatha Preserve on the east side of County Road 561 (Lake Minneola Shores), approximately 0.5 mile south of the intersection of County Road 565A and County Road 561.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
L
atitude:
28.57201642°
Longitude: -81.78069735°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Public boating access.
Overall: Provide public boating access on Lake Minneola in the city of Clermont, Lake County, Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The entire project area covers approximately 6.51 acres, of which 90% is comprised by existing roadways, upland hardwood forest, paved parking, and open herbaceous fields. The primary wetland system consists of a freshwater wetland associated with the shoreline of Lake Minneola. The vegetation consists of torpedo grass, Peruvian primrose willow, Mexican primrose willow, maidencane, broomsedge, umbrella pennywort, pickerelweed, yellow-eyed grass, beakrush, flat sedges, hempvine, rattlebox, and sand cordgrass. There is a forested slough wetland immediately adjacent to the project area but no direct impacts are proposed to that wetland. Vegetation in the forested slough wetland includes swamp gum, red maple, camphor tree, sweet bay, cabbage palm, Carolina willow, Peruvian primrose willow, wax myrtle, saltbush, and elderberry. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of an existing passive recreation park, residential development, roadways, and recreational trail.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to construct a public boat ramp on Lake Minneola associated with Lake Hiawatha Preserve. This boat ramp would replace the existing City of Clermont boat ramp located near 11th Street and West Minneola Avenue which is being removed as part of site improvements for another City of Clermont project. The concrete boat ramp would be 75 feet long by 32 feet wide with two launch lanes and associated floating docks. Construction of the concrete boat ramp would result in dredging and filling impacts to 0.54 acre of Lake Minneola and filling impacts to 0.08 acre of wetlands directly abutting the lake. The facility would also include associated driveways, parking areas, and stormwater treatment facilities, and would require the realignment of CR 561.
AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION – The applicant has provided the following statement in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment: The applicant reviewed several locations for the new boat ramp before settling on the selected location. A location south of the roundabout on County Road 561 was reviewed and discounted based upon the amount of wetland impacts anticipated and issues associated with traffic control on County Road 561 and the placement of parking. A site located along the north side of Lake Hiawatha was eliminated based on the amount of anticipated wetland impact. The co-location of the boat ramp with the existing infrastructure associated with the Lake Hiawatha Preserve serves to avoid impacts to a heretofore unaltered property. The shoreline configuration and topography at the proposed location also serve to limit the amount of impact proposed. The selected location had been previously cleared and, based on review of historic aerials, utilized as a swimming area and boat launch.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment: The applicant intends to purchase federal credits from the Hammock Lake Mitigation Bank.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps is unaware of any historic property/properties within or in close proximity of the permit area. 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 proposal “may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect” (MANLAA) the threatened wood stork (Mycteria americana). Potential impacts to the wood stork were evaluated using the Wood Stork Effect Determination Key dated September, 2008 (Key). The Corps has programmatic concurrence with the sequential determination of A > B > C > D > E > MANLAA pursuant to the Key.
The Corps has made the preliminary determination of MANLAA for the federally threatened eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi). Potential impacts to the eastern indigo snake were evaluated using the Eastern Indigo Snake Key dated January 25, 2010, and updated August 13, 2013. The Corps has programmatic concurrence with the sequential determination of A > B > C > MANLAA pursuant to the Key. This determination is based on the applicant implementing the Standard Protection Measures for the Eastern Indigo Snake.
The Corps has made the determination of MANLAA for the Everglade snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus). The Corps will request concurrence with this determination from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by separate letter.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT (EFH): The project would affect freshwater systems and would not affect EFH.
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 is required. The project is under review at the St. John’s River Water Management District.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, FL 33610 within 21 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, Jessica Cordwell, in writing at the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120 Tampa, Florida 33610, by telephone at (813)769-7067, by fax at (813)769-7061, or by electronic mail at Jessica.L.Cordwell@usace.army.mil.
IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: 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.
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, aesthetics, 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 or 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 determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. 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.
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.