St. Johns/New Madrid RSEIS - Endangered Species & Wetlands ...

additional techniques would entail additional real property acquisition through fee title
for a total of 8,375 acres of land.
All sections of the 2002 RSEIS with the exceptions of compensatory mitigation and
updated economics are incorporated in this RSEIS 2 by reference. Therefore, this RSEIS
2 will not address additional/new alternatives relating to the operation and construction of
flood damage reduction features in the St. Johns Basin and the New Madrid Floodway
project. It has been determined that changes in mitigation would not affect alternative
plan selection. This RSEIS 2 shall be limited to aspects of the mitigation planning,
clarification to issues of concern, and updates to overall project economics due to the
additional compensatory mitigation.
This RSEIS 2, in conjunction with the 2002 RSEIS, shall be the basis for a new Record
of Decision (ROD). This future ROD will include or reference additional mitigation
measures that were not detailed extensively in the August 25, 2003 ROD, as well as
consider the clarifications and additional information provided in the RSEIS 2.
1.2 Authority and Project History
1.2.1 Study Authority
The Flood Control Act of 1954 (FCA 1954) authorized the closure of a 1,500-foot gap
and construction of a gated outlet in the Mississippi River levee at the lower end of the
New Madrid Floodway. The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (WRDA 1986)
authorized channel modifications and pumping stations for the St. Johns Bayou Basin and
the New Madrid Floodway.
The First Phase of the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project (Alternative 2,
Authorized Project, 2002 RSEIS) includes channel enlargement and improvement in the
St. Johns Bayou Basin along the lower 4.5 miles of St. Johns Bayou, then continuing 8.1
miles along the Birds Point New Madrid Setback Levee Ditch and ending with 10.8 miles
along the St. James Ditch. The St. James Ditch work was reduced in the 2002 RSEIS to
7.1 miles due to presence of the golden topminnow in the upper reach of the ditch. The
first item of work, consisting of selective clearing and snagging, has already been
completed along a 4.3-mile reach of the Setback Levee Ditch beginning at the confluence
with St. James Ditch. The impacts of this particular item of work were evaluated in the
Limited Reevaluation Report (LRR) and Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI)/Environmental Assessment (EA) completed in 1997.
The Authorized Project also includes a 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) pumping station
that would be located a few hundred feet east of the existing gravity outlet at the lower
end of St. Johns Bayou. The 1,500-foot gap in the Mississippi River levee at the lower
end of the New Madrid Floodway would be closed. A 1,500 cfs pumping station and
gravity outlet structure would be built in the levee closure at the lower end of the New
Madrid Floodway. The channel enlargement work and both pumping stations are
Draft RSEIS 2
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