Three Forks
(North of Fellesmere Grade)
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

NOTE:   The following files are in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view these files.   Due to the size of of these documents, we have divided them into several smaller PDF files. 

1. PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED
   1.1    PROJECT AUTHORITY
       1.1.1    INITIAL AUTHORIZATION
       1.1.2   PREVIOUS NEPA DOCUMENTATION
   
   1.2    PROJECT LOCATION
   
   1.3    PROJECT HISTORY
   
   1.4    PROJECT NEED OR OBJECTIVE
   
   1.5    AGENCY GOAL OR OBJECTIVE
      1.5.1    OBJECTIVES
      1.5.2    PROPOSED ACTION
   
   1.6    RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
   
   1.7    DECISIONS TO BE MADE
   
   1.8    SCOPING AND ISSUES
      1.8.1    ISSUES EVALUATED IN DETAIL
      1.8.2    IMPACT MEASUREMENT
            1.8.2.1    Flood Control and Water Conveyance
            1.8.2.2    Hydrology Impacts to Biological Communities
            1.8.2.3    Water Quality
            1.8.2.4    Impacts to the Indian River Lagoon
            1.8.2.5    Other Impacts
      1.8.3     ISSUES ELIMINATED FROM DETAIL ANALYSIS
   
   1.9     PERMITS, LICENSES, AND ENTITLEMENTS
    

2. EXISTING CONDITIONS
   2.1     GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
   
   2.3     TOPOGRAPHY
   
   2.4      PLANT COMMUNITIES
      2.4.1    TFMCA
            2.4.1.1.1    Northern Section of TFMCA
            2.4.1.1.2    Middle Section of TFMCA
            2.4.1.1.3    Southern Section of TFMCA
      2.4.2    SJMCA
   
   2.5    FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
      2.5.1    INVERTEBRATES
      2.5.2    FISHERIES RESOURCES
      2.5.3    REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
      2.5.4    AVIFAUNA
            2.5.4.1    General Bird Use
            2.5.4.2    Colonial Wading Birds
            2.5.4.3    Waterfowl
      2.5.5    MAMMALS
   
   2.6     THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES
      2.6.1    WOOD STORK
      2.6.2    SNAIL KITE
      2.6.3    WHOOPING CRANE
      2.6.4    AUDUBON'S CRESTED CARACARA
      2.6.5    BALD EAGLE
      2.6.6    EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE
      2.6.7    CHAFF SEED
   
   2.7     CULTURAL RESOURCES AND HISTORIC PROPERTIES
   
   2.8     WATER QUALITY
   
   2.9     AESTHETIC RESOURCES
   
   2.10   NAVIGATION
   
   2.11   HAZARDOUS, TOXIC, AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
   
   2.12    AIR QUALITY
   
   2.13   NOISE
   
   2.14   PUBLIC SAFETY
   
   2.15   ENERGY REQUIREMENTS AND CONSERVATION
   
   2.16   NATURAL OR DEPLETABLE RESOURCES
   
   2.17   SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES
   
   2.18   NATIVE AMERICANS
   
   2.19   REUSE AND CONSERVATION POTENTIAL
   
   2.20   URBAN QUALITY
   
   2.21   SOLID WASTE
   
   2.22   DRINKING WATER
   
   2.23   CUMMULATIVE IMPACTS
    

3. ALTERNATIVES
   
   3.1     DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES
      3.1.1    GDM ALTERNATIVE
      3.1.2    18.5 FT ALTERNATIVE
      3.1.3    ISOLATION ALTERNATIVE
    

4. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
   
   4.1    FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONVEYANCE
   
   4.2    HYDROLOGICAL IMPACT TO BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES
      4.2.1    ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROLOGIC CRITERIA
            4.2.1.1    Hydrologic Criteria for SJMCA
            4.2.1.2    Hydrologic Criteria for TFMCA
      4.2.2    HYDROLOGIC EVALUATION OF THE ALTERNATIVES
           4.2.2.1    SJMCA
           4.2.2.2    TFMCA
   4.3    TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOILS
      4.3.1    TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
      4.3.2    SOILS
   4.4    VEGETATION
      4.4.1    VEGETATION WITHIN TFMCA
      4.4.2    VEGETATION WITHIN SJMCA
   4.5    THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES
   
   4.6    FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
   
   4.7    IMPACTS TO THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
   
   4.8   WATER QUALITY
   
   4.9    HAZARDOUS, TOXIC, AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
   
   4.10   AIR QUALITY
   
   4.11   NOISE
   
   4.12   PUBLIC SAFETY
   
   4.13   ENERGY REQUIREMENTS AND CONSERVATION
   
   4.14   NATURAL OR DEPLETABLE RESOURCES
   
   4.15   SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES
   
   4.16   CULTURAL RESOURCES
   
   4.17   REUSE AND CONSERVATION POTENTIAL
   
   4.18   URBAN QUALITY
   
   4.19   SOLID WASTE
   
   4.20   DRINKING WATER
   
   4.21   CUMMULTIVE IMPACTS
   
   4.22   COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
        4.22.1    NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969
        4.22.2    ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OF 1958
        4.22.3    FISH AND WILDLIFE COORDINATION ACT OF 1958
        4.22.4    NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT OF 1966 (INTER ALIA)
        4.22.5    CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972
        4.22.6    CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1972
        4.22.7    COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1972
        4.22.8    FARMLAND PROTECTION POLICY ACT OF 1981
        4.22.9    WILD AND SCENIC RIVER ACT OF 1968
        4.22.10   MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT OF 1972
        4.22.11   ESTUARY PROTECTION ACT OF 1968
        4.22.12   FEDERAL WATER PROJECT RECREATION ACT
        4.22.13   FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976
        4.22.14   SUBMERGED LANDS ACT OF 1953
        4.22.15   COSTAL BARRIER RESOURCES ACT AND COASTAL BARRIER IMPROVEMENT
                      ACT OF 1990
        4.22.16   RIVERS AND HARBORS ACT OF 1899
        4.22.17   ANADROMOUS FISH CONSERVATION ACT
        4.22.18   MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT AND MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT
        4.22.19   MARINE PROTECTION, RESEARCH AND SANCTUARIES ACT
        4.22.20   MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT
        4.22.21   E.O. 11990,  PROTECTION OF WETLANDS
        4.22.22   E.O. 11988,  FLOOD PLAIN MANAGEMENT
        4.22.23   E.O. 12898, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
        4.22.24   E.O. 13098, CORAL REEF PROTECTION
        4.22.25   E.O. 13112, INVASIVE SPECIES
    

5. ALTERNATIVE SELECTION
   
   5.1     ISSUES AND BASIS FOR CHOICE
   
   5.2     PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
   
   5.3     ALTERNATIVES ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED EVALUATION
   
   5.4     ALTERNATIVES NOT WITHIN JURISDICTION OF LEAD AGENCY
   
   5.5     COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES
   
   5.6     MITIGATION
    

6. LIST OF PREPARERS *
   
   6.1    PREPARERS
   
   6.2     REVIEWERS
    

7. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT *
   
   7.1     SCOPING AND DRAFT EIS
   
   7.2     AGENCY COORDINATION
   
   7.3     LIST OF STATEMENT RECIPIENTS (DRAFT EIS)
   
   7.4     COMMENTS RECEIVED AND RESPONSE
   
   7.5     CIRCULATION OF FINAL EIS

REFERENCES

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1    Project location and plan view.
Figure 2    Schematic diagram of the original TFMCA and the SJMCA.
Figure 3    The Preferred Alternative.
Figure 4    Discharges from structures S-96B and S-96C during July - August
                 1994 versus the headwater-tailwater difference at S-96B.
Figure 5    General soil types of the TFMCA and the SJMCA.
Figure 6    Topographic map of the project area.
Figure 7    Plant community map generated from 1986, 1:24,000 scale aerial photographs.
Figure 8    Plan community map generated from 1997, 1:12,000 scale aerial photographs.
Figure 9    Design alternatives evaluated for the TFMCA: (A0 the GDM or No Action
                 Alternative, (B) the 18.5ft Alternative, (C) the Isolation Alternative, and (D) the
                 preferred Alternative.
Figure 10  Distribution of predicted average annual water levels in SJMCA for the 53 years
                 from 1942 to 1994.
Figure 11  Average monthly water levels in TFMCA predicted for each of the alternatives
                 considered.
Figure 12  Predicted plant communities for TFMCA under four alternatives.
Figure 13  Comparison of plant communities for pre-project (1986), existing (1997) and
                 projected (Preferred Alternative) conditions.
Figure 14  Average monthly total phosphorus concentrations in TFMCA for the Preferred and
                 Isolated Wetlands Alternatives.

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1    Designed Standard Project Flood (SPF) conditions for structures S-96B and S-96C.

Table 2    Number of acres and descriptions of major plant communities in the TFMCA and
                SJMCA delineated 1 to 24,000 infrared aerial photographs taken in January 1986.

Table 3    Number of acres and descriptions of major plant communities in the TFMCA and
                SJMCA delineated 1 to 12,000 infrared aerial photographs taken in December 1997.

Table 4    Thematic accuracy estimates for plant community delineation in TFMCA and
                SJMCA.

Table 5     List of common fishes of the Upper St. John River basin.

Table 6     Common resident and migratory birds found within the project area.

Table 7     Population estimates for wading birds surveyed in SJMCA, TFMCA and
                 surrounding areas between L74W and State Road 192.
Table 8     Peak number of wading bird nests counted in the Upper St. Johns River Basin
                 during 1993-1995 and 1998.
Table 9     List of common mammals found in the study area.

Table 10   List of common mammals found in the study area.    

Table 11   Mean concentrations of water quality parameters in selected marsh, canal and lake
                sites, 1995-1999.

Table 12   Summary of direct and indirect impacts for alternative project plans considered.

Table 13   Ecologically important characteristics of natural hydrologic cycles in marshes.

Table 14   Assessment of how well environmental hydrologic criteria for the SJMCA were
                met by the Preferred Isolated Wetlands Alternatives.

Table 15   Predicted average water level statistics in TFMCA for each alternative and the
                 estimated number of acres flooded to various depths at that given level.

Table 16   Evaluation of soil exposure and oxidation for the three hydrologic alternatives.

Table 17   Summary of hydrologic parameters derived from literature.

Table 18   Description of plant community types.

Table 19   Predicted plant communities for TFMCA under three different hydrologic
                 alternatives.

Table 20   Water quality effects of the alternatives.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A - PERTINENT CORRESPONDENCE
APPENDIX B - COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY
APPENDIX C - COORDINATION ACT REPORT
APPENDIX D - ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROLOGIC ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVES
APPENDIX E - DETAILED HYDROLOGIC MODELING RESULTS FOR THE GDM OR NO
                       ACTION, 18.5 FT, ISOLATION, AND PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES
APPENDIX F - METHODOLOGY FOR PREDICTING TFMCA PLANT COMMUNITIES FROM
                       HYDROLOGIC DATA
APPENDIX I - SECTION 404(B) EVALUATION
APPENDIX J - CUMM7ULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT

INDEX