Specifications

Section 6 The Selected Alternative Plan
EAA Storage Reservoirs Revised Draft PIR and EIS February 2006
6-1
6.0 THE SELECTED ALTERNATIVE PLAN
The Selected Plan, Alternative 4, features a reservoir impoundment with a
maximum normal pool storage depth of 12 feet at approximately 31,000 acres of
above ground surface area storage. The reservoir is divided into two cells, Cell 1
and Cell 2, approximately 17,000 and 14,000 acres in size, respectively. Both
reservoir cells include individual inflow pump stations, discharge structures,
emergency overflow spillways, and seepage control canals with associated
structures. Total acreage required for the reservoir and seepage control canals is
31,640 acres. After Alternative 4 was selected as the recommended plan, the
design was optimized to exclude Section 13, Township 46 South, Range 35 East
consisting of 640 acres and to add seepage canals to the south and west. The
exclusion of Section 13 was due to its location in the northwest corner and the
fact that to include the Section would require the construction of three miles of
levee and seepage canal with an increase in storage capacity of approximately
7,680 acre feet. Excluding the Section would reduce the levee and seepage canal
construction by two miles thereby reducing the costs of the reservoir without
significantly reducing the planned capacity. The reservoir may provide
opportunities to increase flood damage reduction capabilities through
operational changes to the C&SF Project and local drainage systems.
Additionally, the reservoir may provide limited water quality improvements. A
stormwater treatment area comprised of approximately 1,495 acres is proposed
east of the Miami Canal and west of the reservoir.
For the purposes of plan formulation and in accordance with the language of the
Programmatic Regulations, the term “selected plan” refers to the alternative
that has been selected for recommendation of implementation. For the purposes
of complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and in the
spirit of NEPA, the plan that would be recommended for authorization is termed
the “preferred alternative”. For NEPA, a plan is not “selected” until it has been
fully coordinated, is subject to alterations based on public involvement, and is
then formerly accepted by Congress or the Chief of Engineers, as appropriate,
and authorized with the signing of a ROD or FONSI. Throughout this
document, the analysis includes the NEPA evaluation, and uses the term
“selected alternative” or “selected plan” interchangeably as the preferred
alternative. “Selected” throughout this document is meant to discern which
alternative is recommending to Congress or Chief of Engineers for further
development and implementation.
6.1 DESCRIPTION OF PLAN COMPONENTS
The Study Area is located in western Palm Beach County, in the southern
portion of the EAA, south of Lake Okeechobee and west of Water Conservation
Area 1 and Water Conservation Area 2. The project site is a total of
approximately 33,135 acres of land needed for the footprint of the selected plan,