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Specific Comments
Page C-l: The project area is defined as the construction footprint: the area where the actual
dredging and construction will take place including the proposed placement areas.
Comment: Figure 1, on page C-3, shows the project area as being from Corpus Christ! Bay to Baffin Bay. This figure may really reflect the study area boundary and for clarity it would be useful to delineate the project area from the study area.
Page C-l: The purpose of the project, as directed by Congress, is for ecosystem restoration and
storm damage reduction at North Padre Island. Previous analysis showed that a new water ex-change
would significantly ameliorate high salinity episodes in the Upper Laguna Madre. However, it was
also found that these episodes are relatively rare, occurring on an average of about 1 year in 5;
therefore, the potential environmental benefits to marine resources and area wildlife to be achieved
by the project would be negligible.
Comment: If sand can be provided by other dredging activities to nourish the beach and salinity
improvement benefits are negligible what other benefits will be achieved by the proposed opening of
Packery Channel? Neither the EIS or the BA provide a clear history of past flooding and/or deterioration problems to this area that have been
identified as needing to be or will be remediated by the proposed project.
Table 1, page C-2: List of Federally Endangered or Threatened Species in Nueces County.
Comment:
If the project area is defined as including both Nueces and Kleberg, the list is correct.
If only Nueces County is being considered we would recommend the removal of black lace cactus and northern
aplomado falcon. It is also recommended that the Hawksbill sea turtle and leather back turtle be listed as Endangered with critical
habitat (E/CH) even though their habitat is designated as outside Texas. The piping
plover should also be listed as T/CH.
Page
C-5: "Approximately 128,800 cy will be placed on the south side of the channel between the
existing seawall and the proposed shoreline protection bulkhead at PA1..PA2..PA3.."
Comment:
It was the Service's understanding that there would be no bulkheading to the west of
SH 361 on the south side of the existing channel in front of existing residential
homes. Please clarify whether bulkheading described on page C-5 will be the north
and south sides of the channel and between SH 361 and the Gulf of Mexico.
Page C-l 1: The BA states that a field survey of the project area was performed by
PBS&J ecologists
on 17 February 1999.
Comment: Please clarify what type of surveys were performed during that one day of surveying. We recommend including any other dates and types of surveys that were performed. We recommend a copy of those reports be included as appendices or forwarded to the Service for review. A map of surveyed areas would be useful.
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