Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environment Impact Report (DEIS/DEIR) for a Permit Application for the Proposed San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project, City of Encinitas, San Diego County, CA, 68741-68743 [2011-28741]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 215 / Monday, November 7, 2011 / Notices
Dated: November 3, 2011.
Todd A Stevenson,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–28845 Filed 11–3–11; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement/
Environment Impact Report (DEIS/
DEIR) for a Permit Application for the
Proposed San Elijo Lagoon
Restoration Project, City of Encinitas,
San Diego County, CA
United States Army Corps of
Engineers, Los Angeles District,
Regulatory Division, Defense.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
AGENCY:
The United States (U.S.)
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), in
conjunction with the County of San
Diego Department of Parks and
Recreation (County Parks), is preparing
a joint Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report
(EIS/EIR) for the proposed San Elijo
Lagoon Restoration Project (SELRP). The
Corps will be lead agency under
National Environmental Protection Act
(NEPA) and County Parks will be the
lead agency under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The
development of the EIS/EIR and
associated technical studies are being
completed to determine the Agency
Preferred Alternative, which would
improve and/or restore wetland
functions and services within the San
Elijo Lagoon. Given the complexity of
the alternatives analysis and range of
potentially significant issues, the
appropriate environmental document
was determined by the Corps and
County Parks to be a combined EIS/EIR,
respectively. The Corps and the County
Parks have agreed to jointly prepare the
EIS/EIR to optimize efficiency and avoid
duplication. The EIS/EIR is intended to
be sufficient in scope to address federal,
state, and local requirements for
environmental analysis and permitting.
Implementing the Agency Preferred
Alternative would require a Department
of the Army permit pursuant to Section
404 of the Clean Water Act, which
regulates the discharge of dredged,
excavated, or fill material in wetlands,
streams, rivers, and other waters of the
U.S. and the potential impacts on the
human environment from such
activities. To be authorized by the
Corps, the Agency Preferred Alternative
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must also comply with the Section
404(b)(1) Guidelines (40 Code of Federal
Regulations [CFR] Part 230) and may not
be contrary to the public interest.
Federal agencies coordinating in the
development of the EIS include the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS), and Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). State agencies
coordinating in the development of the
EIR include Department of Fish and
Game (CDFG), California Coastal
Commission (CCC), San Diego Regional
Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB),
State Water Resources Control Board,
California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans), and San Diego Association of
Governments (SANDAG).
The EIR/EIS is currently evaluating
three alternative restoration designs, the
No Project/No Action alternative, and
associated maintenance and long-term
management and maintenance
measures. In addition, alternatives are
being evaluated to determine if project
phasing is necessary to maintain
adequate habitat for sensitive aquatic
species, including light footed clapper
rail (Rallus longirostris levipes) and
potentially western snowy plovers
(Charadrius alexandrines nivosus) and
California least terns (Sterna antillarum
browni) . The study area encompasses
approximately 960 acres within and
adjacent to the Reserve, but final project
size may vary, depending on the
outcome of the alternatives analysis.
Additional details and alternative
designs are provided in Section 4.
Should the project receive a permit, it
is anticipated that construction of the
SELRP would begin in fall 2014. The
study area boundaries for the SELRP are
generally defined to include publicly
owned parcels where restoration
activities could occur.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Comments and questions regarding
scoping of the Draft EIS/EIR may be
addressed to Ms. Michelle Mattson,
Senior Project Manager, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District,
Regulatory Division, Carlsbad Field
Office, Attn: CESPL–2009–00575–MLM,
6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 105,
Carlsbad, CA 92011 or comment letters
can also be sent via electronic mail to
Michelle.L.Mattson@usace.army.mil.
The project title ‘‘San Elijo Lagoon
Restoration Project, CESPL–2009–
00575–MLM’’ should be included in the
electronic mail’s subject line and the
commenter’s physical mailing address
within the body of the letter. Michelle
Mattson can be reached at (760) 602–
4835. Comments and questions can also
be sent to Ms. Megan Hamilton, County
PO 00000
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68741
of San Diego Department of Parks and
Recreation, 5500 Overland Avenue,
Suite 410, San Diego CA 92123 or via
electronic mail to
Megan.Hamilton@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Megan Hamilton can be reached at (858)
966–1377.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Project Site and Background
Information: San Elijo Lagoon is located
in the city of Encinitas, San Diego
County, California. The lagoon is the
terminus of the Escondido Creek and La
Orilla Creek watersheds at the Pacific
Ocean. The study area is composed of
approximately 961 acres, which are
separated into four basins or areas (East
Basin, Central Basin, West Basin, and
Coastal Area). The lagoon provides
habitat for resident and migratory
species, some of which are sensitive or
listed as federally-threatened or
endangered under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA).
Due to encroachment by
development, restricted tidal influence,
and the increase of freshwater from the
watershed, the San Elijo Lagoon has
gradually degraded over time. Tidal
influence has been restricted by
infrastructure and development at the
inlet of the lagoon. The Pacific Coast
Highway (PCH), the North County
Transit District (NCTD) railroad, and
Interstate 5 (I–5) all traverse the lagoon
and further modify tidal and freshwater
circulation patterns and increased
sediment accumulation from the
watershed. Freshwater input has
increased as a result of residential and
commercial land uses in the 77-squaremile hydrologic watershed. Because of
these hydrologic changes, lagoon habitat
is rapidly transitioning from mudflats to
mid-marsh habitat through the rapid
expansion of cordgrass (Spartina spp.)
and pickleweed (Sarcoconia pacifica)
and the East Basin supports large areas
of freshwater marsh vegetated primarily
by cattails (Typha spp.). The changes
have also decreased the quality of water
in the lagoon causing elevated bacteria
levels and increased the occurrences of
beach closures during high flow events.
Mechanical breaching of the ocean
inlet is routinely performed to maintain
tidal flushing within the lagoon, but
benefits are only temporarily realized
due to the physical and hydrological
changes previously mentioned. If no
action is taken to restore the lagoon,
functions and services will continue to
degrade, further reducing the diversity
of estuarine habitats and increasing
freshwater wetland and riparian
habitats. Sensitive flora and fauna
currently dependent on the estuarine
conditions will continue to be adversely
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68742
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 215 / Monday, November 7, 2011 / Notices
affected. The SELRP is an effort to
restore estuarine functions and services
to the greatest extent practicable in light
of permanent constraints. Depending on
the restoration alternative chosen
through development of the Draft EIS/
EIR, the SELRP would improve tidal
influence by modifying and maintaining
the existing inlet of the lagoon or by
constructing a new, permanently open
lagoon inlet. Habitat diversity and other
wetland functions and services would
also be improved by modifying existing
tidal channels, grading new tidal
channels, and/or by grading areas
specified by a range of tide elevations.
The basic project purpose of the
proposed SELRP is to restore tidal
wetlands; this is a water dependent
activity. The overall project purpose of
the SELRP is to enhance and restore the
physical and biological functions and
services of the lagoon by increasing the
tidal prism to support a diverse range of
habitat types.
The overarching goal of the SELRP is
to protect, restore, and then maintain,
via and adaptive management the San
Elijo Lagoon ecosystem and the adjacent
uplands to support a diversity of
estuarine and brackish marsh habitats
and associated native species of
southern California.
This goal can be further refined into
three categories of objectives:
1. Physical restoration of lagoon
estuarine hydrologic functions,
2. Biological restoration of lagoon
estuarine habitats, and
3. Management and maintenance of
the lagoon to ensure long-term viability
of the restoration efforts.
2. Proposed Action: Three restoration
alternatives and the No Project/No
Action alternative are being evaluated in
the EIR/EIS. All the restoration
alternatives are designed to counteract
the conversion trend to freshwater
habitats and restore a range of estuarine
habitat types. Therefore, increasing tidal
influence is the primary action being
evaluated to restore ecological functions
and services. Two alternatives retain the
existing tidal inlet and one constructs a
new inlet further south. Restoration
alternatives evaluate varying degrees of
dredging and filling portions of the
three basins (West, Central, and East
Basin) to restore or create a diversity of
estuarine habitat types. Excess sediment
from dredging could be discharged on
the adjacent beach or in the nearshore
zone west of the lagoon, if it is
identified as suitable beach sand
material. Maintenance and adaptive
management strategies are also being
evaluated for each alternative (i.e. new
inlet channel maintenance would differ
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from the existing inlet channel
maintenance).
Through the EIS/EIR process, an
Agency Preferred Alternative will be
chosen and a Restoration Plan will be
developed. The Restoration Plan will be
consistent with the goals and objectives
listed above and will fit within the
overall management strategies identified
in the San Elijo Lagoon Enhancement
Plan (County Parks 1996) and the San
Elijo Lagoon Action Plan (San Elijo
Lagoon Conservancy 1998).
3. Issues: A number of potential
environmental issues will be addressed
in the EIS/EIR for each alternative.
Additional issues may be identified
during the scoping process, but issues
initially identified as potentially
significant or that are believed to be of
local concern are as follows:
• Geology and Soils: Permanent
impacts through the removal of
sediment accumulated in the lagoon and
on-going impacts resulting from asneeded maintenance activities.
• Coastal Processes: Temporary
impacts during construction, permanent
impacts depending on tidal inlet
location, and on-going impacts resulting
from as needed maintenance activities.
• Hydrology: Temporary impacts
during construction, permanent changes
in water circulation, and on-going
impacts resulting from as-needed
maintenance of the tidal inlet and/or
interior dredging.
• Water & Aquatic Sediment Quality:
Impacts during construction, including
turbidity, and potential impacts
resulting from as-needed maintenance
activities.
• Aquatic & Terrestrial Biological
Resources: Temporary and permanent
impacts to existing species.
• Cultural & Paleontological
Resources: Impacts to archaeological
resources, human remains, and sacred
sites.
• Land Use: Temporary or permanent
impacts to beach use depending on inlet
location.
• Recreation: Temporary impacts to
existing trail use during construction
and potential on-going impacts resulting
from as-needed maintenance activities.
• Visual Resources: Temporary
impacts during construction and
permanent impacts associated with
changes in vegetation communities and
regular tidal flooding.
• Transportation and Traffic: Impacts
during construction and potential ongoing impacts resulting from as-needed
maintenance activities.
• Air Quality/Greenhouse Gas
Emissions: Impacts during construction
and on-going impacts resulting from asneeded maintenance activities.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Noise: Impacts during construction
and on-going impacts resulting from
dredging or other construction
equipment during as-needed
maintenance activities.
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials:
Impacts during construction and ongoing impacts resulting from as-needed
maintenance activities.
• Public Services and Utilities:
Impacts during construction and ongoing impacts resulting from as-needed
maintenance activities.
4. Alternatives: Since 1996, various
interested parties have devised
restoration concepts and considered
alternative configurations of
infrastructure that traverse the lagoon.
Through an intensive process, four
conceptual alternatives have been
identified to be carried forward for
engineering refinement and
environmental evaluation:
• Alternative 1A—Intertidal
Alternative (existing inlet)
• Alternative 1B—Habitat Diversity
Alternative (existing inlet)
• Alternative 2A—Habitat Diversity
Alternative (inlet relocated south)
• No Project/No Action
There are common design features
that would be implemented in each
alternative, such as micro-grading and
the use of short cobble-blocking
structures at the inlet. The range and
characteristics of the alternatives
addressed in the EIS/EIR will be more
fully developed based on input from the
scoping process and specialized
hydrological and biological technical
studies that are underway.
5. Scoping Process: The Corps and
County Parks will jointly conduct a
series of public scoping meetings to
receive public comments regarding the
appropriate scope and content for the
SELRP Draft EIS/EIR and to assess
public concerns. Additionally, a public
hearing will be held during the public
comment period once the Draft EIS/EIR
is released. Participation in the public
meetings by federal, state, and local
agencies; Native American Tribes; and
other interested organizations and
persons is encouraged. Parties interested
in being added to the electronic mail
notification list for any projects
associated with the SELRP can register
at https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/
regulatory/ under the Public Notice tab,
Distribution List registration. This list
will be used in the future to notify the
public about scheduled hearings and
availability of future public notices.
Parties interested in obtaining
additional information about the SELRP
can also visit https://www.sanelijo.org/
restoration.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 215 / Monday, November 7, 2011 / Notices
A series of public scoping meetings
will be held on the following dates and
locations:
1. Carlsbad: November 15, 2011 at 1
p.m., U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
Conference Room 1, 6010 Hidden Valley
Road, Suite 101, Carlsbad, California
92011.
2. Encinitas: November 29, 2011 at 6
p.m., City of Encinitas Community
Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive,
Encinitas, CA 92024.
3. Solana Beach: December 1, 2011 at
6 p.m., City of Solana Beach Council
Chambers, 635 South Highway 101,
Solana Beach, CA 92075.
Comments on the proposed action,
alternatives, or any additional concerns
should be submitted in writing. Written
comment letters will be accepted
through December 18, 2011.
The following permits and
consultations are expected:
• Corps CWA Section 404 Permit
• RWQCB CWA Section 401 Water
Quality Certification
• Service Section 7 Consultation
• National Historic Preservation Act
Section 106 consultation
• CDFG Section 1600 Streambed
Alteration Agreement
• CCC Development Permit
• State Lands Commission Lease
• U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Permit
(new inlet only)
• State Department of Parks and
Recreation Encroachment Permit
6. Availability of the DEIS/DEIR: The
Draft EIS/EIR is expected to be
published and circulated by fall 2012,
and public meetings will be held after
its publication.
Dated: October 26, 2011.
Mark Cohen,
Deputy Chief, Regulatory Division, Corps of
Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2011–28741 Filed 11–4–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720–58–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Proposed Information
Collection Requests
Department of Education.
ACTION: Comment Request.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
(the Department), in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)),
provides the general public and Federal
agencies with an opportunity to
comment on proposed and continuing
collections of information. This helps
the Department assess the impact of its
information collection requirements and
minimize the reporting burden on the
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SUMMARY:
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public and helps the public understand
the Department’s information collection
requirements and provide the requested
data in the desired format. The Director,
Information Collection Clearance
Division, Privacy, Information and
Records Management Services, Office of
Management, Office of Management,
invites comments on the proposed
information collection requests as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before January
6, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Comments regarding burden
and/or the collection activity
requirements should be electronically
mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or
mailed to U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ,
Washington, DC 20202–4537. Please
note that written comments received in
response to this notice will be
considered public records.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires
that Federal agencies provide interested
parties an early opportunity to comment
on information collection requests. The
Director, Information Collection
Clearance Division, Regulatory
Information Management Services,
Office of Management, publishes this
notice containing proposed information
collection requests at the beginning of
the Departmental review of the
information collection. The Department
of Education is especially interested in
public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) Is this collection
necessary to the proper functions of the
Department; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Department enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology.
Dated: November 1, 2011.
Darrin King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance
Division, Privacy, Information and Records
Management Services, Office of Management.
Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education
Type of Review: Extension.
Title of Collection: College Assistance
Migrant Program (CAMP).
OMB Control Number: 1810–0689.
Agency Form Number(s): N/A.
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
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68743
Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 37.
Total Estimated Annual Burden
Hours: 1,184.
Abstract: For the College Assistance
Migrant Program, a customized Annual
Performance Report that goes beyond
the generic 524B is requested to
facilitate the collection of more
standardized and comprehensive data
tools that provide information for the
Government Performance Reporting Act,
which improves the overall quality of
data collection, and increases the
quality and quantity of data that may be
used to inform policy decisions.
Copies of the proposed information
collection request may be accessed from
https://edicsWeb.ed.gov, by selecting the
‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and
by clicking on link number 4747. When
you access the information collection,
click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to
view. Written requests for information
should be addressed to U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue
SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
Requests may also be electronically
mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed
to (202) 401–0920. Please specify the
complete title of the information
collection and OMB Control Number
when making your request.
Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–(800) 877–
8339.
[FR Doc. 2011–28753 Filed 11–4–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 13417–002]
Western Technical College; Notice of
Application Tendered for Filing With
the Commission and Soliciting
Additional Study Requests
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Minor
License.
b. Project No.: 13417–002.
c. Date filed: October 21, 2011.
d. Applicant: Western Technical
College.
e. Name of Project: Angelo Dam
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project would be
located on the La Crosse River in the
E:\FR\FM\07NON1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68741-68743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28741]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Environment Impact Report (DEIS/DEIR) for a Permit
Application for the Proposed San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project, City
of Encinitas, San Diego County, CA
AGENCY: United States Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District,
Regulatory Division, Defense.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), in
conjunction with the County of San Diego Department of Parks and
Recreation (County Parks), is preparing a joint Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed San
Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project (SELRP). The Corps will be lead agency
under National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and County Parks
will be the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA). The development of the EIS/EIR and associated technical studies
are being completed to determine the Agency Preferred Alternative,
which would improve and/or restore wetland functions and services
within the San Elijo Lagoon. Given the complexity of the alternatives
analysis and range of potentially significant issues, the appropriate
environmental document was determined by the Corps and County Parks to
be a combined EIS/EIR, respectively. The Corps and the County Parks
have agreed to jointly prepare the EIS/EIR to optimize efficiency and
avoid duplication. The EIS/EIR is intended to be sufficient in scope to
address federal, state, and local requirements for environmental
analysis and permitting.
Implementing the Agency Preferred Alternative would require a
Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act, which regulates the discharge of dredged, excavated, or fill
material in wetlands, streams, rivers, and other waters of the U.S. and
the potential impacts on the human environment from such activities. To
be authorized by the Corps, the Agency Preferred Alternative must also
comply with the Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines (40 Code of Federal
Regulations [CFR] Part 230) and may not be contrary to the public
interest.
Federal agencies coordinating in the development of the EIS include
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). State
agencies coordinating in the development of the EIR include Department
of Fish and Game (CDFG), California Coastal Commission (CCC), San Diego
Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), State Water Resources
Control Board, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and
San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
The EIR/EIS is currently evaluating three alternative restoration
designs, the No Project/No Action alternative, and associated
maintenance and long-term management and maintenance measures. In
addition, alternatives are being evaluated to determine if project
phasing is necessary to maintain adequate habitat for sensitive aquatic
species, including light footed clapper rail (Rallus longirostris
levipes) and potentially western snowy plovers (Charadrius alexandrines
nivosus) and California least terns (Sterna antillarum browni) . The
study area encompasses approximately 960 acres within and adjacent to
the Reserve, but final project size may vary, depending on the outcome
of the alternatives analysis. Additional details and alternative
designs are provided in Section 4. Should the project receive a permit,
it is anticipated that construction of the SELRP would begin in fall
2014. The study area boundaries for the SELRP are generally defined to
include publicly owned parcels where restoration activities could
occur.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Comments and questions regarding
scoping of the Draft EIS/EIR may be addressed to Ms. Michelle Mattson,
Senior Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles
District, Regulatory Division, Carlsbad Field Office, Attn: CESPL-2009-
00575-MLM, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 105, Carlsbad, CA 92011 or
comment letters can also be sent via electronic mail to
Michelle.L.Mattson@usace.army.mil. The project title ``San Elijo Lagoon
Restoration Project, CESPL-2009-00575-MLM'' should be included in the
electronic mail's subject line and the commenter's physical mailing
address within the body of the letter. Michelle Mattson can be reached
at (760) 602-4835. Comments and questions can also be sent to Ms. Megan
Hamilton, County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, 5500
Overland Avenue, Suite 410, San Diego CA 92123 or via electronic mail
to Megan.Hamilton@sdcounty.ca.gov. Megan Hamilton can be reached at
(858) 966-1377.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Project Site and Background Information: San Elijo Lagoon is
located in the city of Encinitas, San Diego County, California. The
lagoon is the terminus of the Escondido Creek and La Orilla Creek
watersheds at the Pacific Ocean. The study area is composed of
approximately 961 acres, which are separated into four basins or areas
(East Basin, Central Basin, West Basin, and Coastal Area). The lagoon
provides habitat for resident and migratory species, some of which are
sensitive or listed as federally-threatened or endangered under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Due to encroachment by development, restricted tidal influence, and
the increase of freshwater from the watershed, the San Elijo Lagoon has
gradually degraded over time. Tidal influence has been restricted by
infrastructure and development at the inlet of the lagoon. The Pacific
Coast Highway (PCH), the North County Transit District (NCTD) railroad,
and Interstate 5 (I-5) all traverse the lagoon and further modify tidal
and freshwater circulation patterns and increased sediment accumulation
from the watershed. Freshwater input has increased as a result of
residential and commercial land uses in the 77-square-mile hydrologic
watershed. Because of these hydrologic changes, lagoon habitat is
rapidly transitioning from mudflats to mid-marsh habitat through the
rapid expansion of cordgrass (Spartina spp.) and pickleweed (Sarcoconia
pacifica) and the East Basin supports large areas of freshwater marsh
vegetated primarily by cattails (Typha spp.). The changes have also
decreased the quality of water in the lagoon causing elevated bacteria
levels and increased the occurrences of beach closures during high flow
events.
Mechanical breaching of the ocean inlet is routinely performed to
maintain tidal flushing within the lagoon, but benefits are only
temporarily realized due to the physical and hydrological changes
previously mentioned. If no action is taken to restore the lagoon,
functions and services will continue to degrade, further reducing the
diversity of estuarine habitats and increasing freshwater wetland and
riparian habitats. Sensitive flora and fauna currently dependent on the
estuarine conditions will continue to be adversely
[[Page 68742]]
affected. The SELRP is an effort to restore estuarine functions and
services to the greatest extent practicable in light of permanent
constraints. Depending on the restoration alternative chosen through
development of the Draft EIS/EIR, the SELRP would improve tidal
influence by modifying and maintaining the existing inlet of the lagoon
or by constructing a new, permanently open lagoon inlet. Habitat
diversity and other wetland functions and services would also be
improved by modifying existing tidal channels, grading new tidal
channels, and/or by grading areas specified by a range of tide
elevations.
The basic project purpose of the proposed SELRP is to restore tidal
wetlands; this is a water dependent activity. The overall project
purpose of the SELRP is to enhance and restore the physical and
biological functions and services of the lagoon by increasing the tidal
prism to support a diverse range of habitat types.
The overarching goal of the SELRP is to protect, restore, and then
maintain, via and adaptive management the San Elijo Lagoon ecosystem
and the adjacent uplands to support a diversity of estuarine and
brackish marsh habitats and associated native species of southern
California.
This goal can be further refined into three categories of
objectives:
1. Physical restoration of lagoon estuarine hydrologic functions,
2. Biological restoration of lagoon estuarine habitats, and
3. Management and maintenance of the lagoon to ensure long-term
viability of the restoration efforts.
2. Proposed Action: Three restoration alternatives and the No
Project/No Action alternative are being evaluated in the EIR/EIS. All
the restoration alternatives are designed to counteract the conversion
trend to freshwater habitats and restore a range of estuarine habitat
types. Therefore, increasing tidal influence is the primary action
being evaluated to restore ecological functions and services. Two
alternatives retain the existing tidal inlet and one constructs a new
inlet further south. Restoration alternatives evaluate varying degrees
of dredging and filling portions of the three basins (West, Central,
and East Basin) to restore or create a diversity of estuarine habitat
types. Excess sediment from dredging could be discharged on the
adjacent beach or in the nearshore zone west of the lagoon, if it is
identified as suitable beach sand material. Maintenance and adaptive
management strategies are also being evaluated for each alternative
(i.e. new inlet channel maintenance would differ from the existing
inlet channel maintenance).
Through the EIS/EIR process, an Agency Preferred Alternative will
be chosen and a Restoration Plan will be developed. The Restoration
Plan will be consistent with the goals and objectives listed above and
will fit within the overall management strategies identified in the San
Elijo Lagoon Enhancement Plan (County Parks 1996) and the San Elijo
Lagoon Action Plan (San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy 1998).
3. Issues: A number of potential environmental issues will be
addressed in the EIS/EIR for each alternative. Additional issues may be
identified during the scoping process, but issues initially identified
as potentially significant or that are believed to be of local concern
are as follows:
Geology and Soils: Permanent impacts through the removal
of sediment accumulated in the lagoon and on-going impacts resulting
from as-needed maintenance activities.
Coastal Processes: Temporary impacts during construction,
permanent impacts depending on tidal inlet location, and on-going
impacts resulting from as needed maintenance activities.
Hydrology: Temporary impacts during construction,
permanent changes in water circulation, and on-going impacts resulting
from as-needed maintenance of the tidal inlet and/or interior dredging.
Water & Aquatic Sediment Quality: Impacts during
construction, including turbidity, and potential impacts resulting from
as-needed maintenance activities.
Aquatic & Terrestrial Biological Resources: Temporary and
permanent impacts to existing species.
Cultural & Paleontological Resources: Impacts to
archaeological resources, human remains, and sacred sites.
Land Use: Temporary or permanent impacts to beach use
depending on inlet location.
Recreation: Temporary impacts to existing trail use during
construction and potential on-going impacts resulting from as-needed
maintenance activities.
Visual Resources: Temporary impacts during construction
and permanent impacts associated with changes in vegetation communities
and regular tidal flooding.
Transportation and Traffic: Impacts during construction
and potential on-going impacts resulting from as-needed maintenance
activities.
Air Quality/Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Impacts during
construction and on-going impacts resulting from as-needed maintenance
activities.
Noise: Impacts during construction and on-going impacts
resulting from dredging or other construction equipment during as-
needed maintenance activities.
Hazards and Hazardous Materials: Impacts during
construction and on-going impacts resulting from as-needed maintenance
activities.
Public Services and Utilities: Impacts during construction
and on-going impacts resulting from as-needed maintenance activities.
4. Alternatives: Since 1996, various interested parties have
devised restoration concepts and considered alternative configurations
of infrastructure that traverse the lagoon. Through an intensive
process, four conceptual alternatives have been identified to be
carried forward for engineering refinement and environmental
evaluation:
Alternative 1A--Intertidal Alternative (existing inlet)
Alternative 1B--Habitat Diversity Alternative (existing
inlet)
Alternative 2A--Habitat Diversity Alternative (inlet
relocated south)
No Project/No Action
There are common design features that would be implemented in each
alternative, such as micro-grading and the use of short cobble-blocking
structures at the inlet. The range and characteristics of the
alternatives addressed in the EIS/EIR will be more fully developed
based on input from the scoping process and specialized hydrological
and biological technical studies that are underway.
5. Scoping Process: The Corps and County Parks will jointly conduct
a series of public scoping meetings to receive public comments
regarding the appropriate scope and content for the SELRP Draft EIS/EIR
and to assess public concerns. Additionally, a public hearing will be
held during the public comment period once the Draft EIS/EIR is
released. Participation in the public meetings by federal, state, and
local agencies; Native American Tribes; and other interested
organizations and persons is encouraged. Parties interested in being
added to the electronic mail notification list for any projects
associated with the SELRP can register at https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/ under the Public Notice tab,
Distribution List registration. This list will be used in the future to
notify the public about scheduled hearings and availability of future
public notices.
Parties interested in obtaining additional information about the
SELRP can also visit https://www.sanelijo.org/restoration.
[[Page 68743]]
A series of public scoping meetings will be held on the following
dates and locations:
1. Carlsbad: November 15, 2011 at 1 p.m., U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, Conference Room 1, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 101,
Carlsbad, California 92011.
2. Encinitas: November 29, 2011 at 6 p.m., City of Encinitas
Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024.
3. Solana Beach: December 1, 2011 at 6 p.m., City of Solana Beach
Council Chambers, 635 South Highway 101, Solana Beach, CA 92075.
Comments on the proposed action, alternatives, or any additional
concerns should be submitted in writing. Written comment letters will
be accepted through December 18, 2011.
The following permits and consultations are expected:
Corps CWA Section 404 Permit
RWQCB CWA Section 401 Water Quality Certification
Service Section 7 Consultation
National Historic Preservation Act Section 106
consultation
CDFG Section 1600 Streambed Alteration Agreement
CCC Development Permit
State Lands Commission Lease
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Permit (new inlet only)
State Department of Parks and Recreation Encroachment
Permit
6. Availability of the DEIS/DEIR: The Draft EIS/EIR is expected to
be published and circulated by fall 2012, and public meetings will be
held after its publication.
Dated: October 26, 2011.
Mark Cohen,
Deputy Chief, Regulatory Division, Corps of Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2011-28741 Filed 11-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
