Virginia M. Fay - NOAA - Habitat Conservation Division

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(Sent via Electronic Mail)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
Southeast Regional Office
26313th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 -5505
http: / /sero.nmfs.noaa.gov
March 31, 2014 F /SER47:FR/pw
Colonel Steven A. Baker, Commander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District
69 Darlington Avenue
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 -1398
Attention: Justin Bashaw
Dear Colonel Baker:
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) reviewed Environmental Assessment (EA) for A
Demonstration Project Showing the Impact of Floating In -Lake Long- Distance Circulators in B.E.
Jordan Lake, dated March 2014, and the public notice dated March 7, 2014. Jordan Lake does not
include essential fish habitat (EFH), consequently, NMFS offers no comments under the EFH provisions
of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. As the nation's federal trustee for
the conservation and management of marine, estuarine, and diadromous fishery resources, the following
comments and recommendations are provided pursuant to the authorities of the Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act.
This EA examines a proposed 24 -month demonstration project for placing up to 36 floating, solar -
powered, long- distance circulators within Jordan Lake. The circulators would be placed and monitored in
the lake by the North Carolina Division of Water Resources on behalf of the Wilmington District. The
purpose is to collect information needed to examine concerns raised about the lake's water quality. Each
circulator unit would be anchored to the lake bottom with one or more anchors capable of holding the
circulator in place during adverse weather. Each circulator would have an impeller to draw water from
depth. Temporary staging areas to assemble and prepare the circulators would be at the Farrington Point
and Robeson Creek boat ramps. No impacts to NOAA trust resources are expected from deployment and
operation of the floating circulators, and NMFS has no objection to proposed action.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide these comments. Related questions or comments should be
directed to the attention of Mr. Fritz Rohde at our Beaufort Field Office, 101 Pivers Island Road,
Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 -9722, or at (252) 838 -0828.
/ for
cc:
COE, Justin.P.Bashaw @usace.army.mil
Sincerely,
/ I U VA
Virginia M. Fay
Assistant Regional Administrator
Habitat Conservation Division
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