DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS OF ENGINEERS. “eo PCA BOULEVARD, SUITE 50 PALM BEACH GAROENS, FL a3ATe Paim Beach Gardens Regulatory Office PUBLIC NOTICE Permit Application No. SAJ-2005-9856(1P-AAZ) May 7, 2009 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: This district 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: The South Florida Water Manageme Attn: Ms. Carol Wenle 3301 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406 District (SewMD) BACKGROUND: The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERF) intends to restore the Bverglades through a series of civil engineering and environmental projects and improvements implemented over a period of 25-30 years. one component of CERP, the C-111 project, is a part of the South Dade County portion of the Central and Southern Florida (CéSF) project authorized in 1962 to provide flood control to agricultural lands in south Dade County and to discharge flood waters to Taylor Slough in the Everglades National Park (ENP). In 1968, modifications were authorized to provide water supply to ENP and South Dade County. Environmental concerns caused construction to be discontinued before all authorized project features were completed. As a result, the C-111 General Reevaluation Report (GRR) with integrated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was completed and approved in 1994. Tt recommended project modifications designed to maintain existing flood protection and other CaS project purposes in developed areas east of C-111 while restoring natural hydrologic conditions in the Taylor Slough and eastern panhandle areas of ENP. Increased freshwater flows in these areas will also help conditions in Florida Bay, a part of ENP. ‘The C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project, which is 2 component of the overall C-111 project, is essential to achieving restoration of Taylor Slough and downstream areas within the affected areas in the ENP, the Model Land and the Southern Glades area, andPlays an integral role in meeting the CERP system-wide ecosystem restoration goals and objectives. Structural and operational changes will be implemented to improve tne quantity, timing, and distribution of water delivered to Florida Hay via taylor Slough as well as improve the hydropericd within the wetlands of the Southern Glades and Model Land. The water deliveries will be improved by the creation of 2 hydraulic ridge just east of the ENP. Hydroperiods and hydropatterns within the wetlands of the Southern Glades and Model Land will be improved by the construction of a new operable water control structure in the lower C-111 Canal, incremental operational changes at existing structure S-i8c, Changes in operations at the existing $-20 structure, construction of a plug at existing structure §-20A, and the installation of ten earthen plugs in the C-110 Canal. ‘The SEWMD proposes to construct the C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project prior to implementation of the Federal C-111 spreader Canal Western project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is proceeding with two separate and independent but related actions, the planning evaluation of the Federal CERP C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project and the regulatory evaluation of the SFWND’s proposed project descrined in this public notice. ‘The SEWMD proposed project is consistent with the Corps’ Selected Alternative Plan which is currently being evaluated in the C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project Draft Integrated Project Implementation Report/Environnental Inpact Statement [PIR/EIS) . Therefore, it is anticipated that the draft PIR/EIS will also serve as the basis for the Regulatory Division’ s National Environmental Policy Act evaluation Of the SFWMD's proposed Project. The Draft PIR/EIS is posted on the CERP website (uuiwevergladesplan.org) and open for public conment between april 24 and June 8, 2009. WATERWAY & LOCATION: The C-111 Spreader Canal Western project area is located in waters of the United States within the C-111 Canal, the C-110 Canal, and the Aerojet Canal, as well as wetlands adjacent to the canals. The project also includes wetlands within South Dade, which includes the Medel Lands and the Southern Glades. The western portion of the Model Lands is comprised of wetlands adjacent to the C-111 Canal, east of ENP, west of U.S. 1, north of SW 424th Street and south of SW 344th Street/State Road 9336 (Palm Drive}. The eastern portion of the Model Lands is comprised of wetlands south of SW 344th Street (Palm Drive), east of U.S. 1, and South to Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, and Barnes Sound. The project is bounded by Everglaces National Park, the Florida City Homestead area and Manate= Bay, located in Sections 25 and 36, Township 57S, Range 372; Sections 30 and 31, Township 57S, Range 36E; Section 32, Township 57S, Range 406; Sections 6, 7, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 235, and 36, Township 588, Range 38E: and Sections 1, 2, 6, 10, and 11, Township 598, Range 385, Niami-Dade county, Florida. DIRECTIONS 70 SITE: From the Florida's Turnpike in Miami-Dade County, travel south and exit at the US-1 South exit towards Key West. ‘Merge onto Northeast 1" avenue/State Road 5/US Highway 1 Turn right at SW 344" Street/East Palm Drive. Continue on SW 344" Street/SR 9336, then turn left at SW 192™ Avenue/SR $336/Tower Road. Continue to SW 392” street/sk 3336. The Frog Pond location is to the north while the Pump Station $-199 and Rerojet Canal extension is located to the South. PROJECT PURPOSE: Basic: The basic purpose of this project is to increase freshwater deliveries to Florida Bay via Taylor Slough as well as improve hydroperiods within the wetlands of the Southern Glades and Model Land. Overall: ‘The overall project purpose is to implement structural and operational changes to improve the quantity, timing, and distribution of water delivered to the florida Say via Taylor Slough as well as improve hydropericds within the wetlands of the Southern Glades and Model Land. PROPOSED WORK: The SFWMD's proposed project, the C-111 Spreader Canal Western Project, is described in the draft PIR/EIS as Alternative 2bS. The project is intended to improve the quantity, timing, and distribution of water delivered to Florida Bay via Taylor Slough to historic levels derived from the pre- drainage model runs, improve hydroperiods and hydropattern in Southern Glades and Model Lands, and return coastal zone salinities to historical, recorded conditions through the redistribution of water that is currently discharged to tide. These objectives would be accomplished by implementing the following features: Frog Pond Detention Area Aerojet Canal One New Operable Structure in the Lower C-111 Canal Incremental Operational Changes at S-18C One Plug at S-20A, Operational Changes at Existing Structure 5-20 Ten Plugs in the C-110 canal The Frog Pond Detention Area (FEDA) and Aerojet Canal feature are intended to work in unison to create an approximately nine- mile hydraulic ridge adjacent to Everglades National Park. The ridge will serve to block groundwater flows from moving into the 3