Update on the Mobile Harbor General Reevaluation Report 112 92 56 COL James DeLapp DISTRICT COMMANDER 22 February 2018 62 102 130 102 56 48 130 120 111 AGENDA USACE Overview • Mission Areas • Boundaries • Puerto Rico Update Mobile Harbor GRR • Project Overview • Economic Analysis • Environmental Analysis • Engineering Analysis • Dredged Material Placement • Summary • What’s next • Questions USACE MISSION AREAS Military Programs • Military Construction • COCOM Support ,Overseas Contingency Opns (OCO) • Installation, Environmental, Energy and Sustainability • • • • • Navigation, Hydropower Flood Control, Coast Protect Water Supply, Regulatory Recreation, Disaster Response Environmental Restoration International & Interagency Support Homeland Security Civil Works • • • • • Critical Infrastructure Anti-terrorism Plans Intelligence Facility Security Partnerships Emergency Operations • • • • • Federal State Local International Foreign Military Sales USACE Has a Globally Diverse Mission Set Driven by Diverse Customers in Support of the DoD and the Nation Research & Development Real Estate • Warfighter • Installations & Energy • Environment ,Water Resources • Acquire, Manage and Dispose • DoD Recruiting Facilities • Contingency Operations Regulatory • Regulate Waters of the U.S. • Section 404 & 10 Programs • Nationwide Permits Geospatial Support • Common Operating Picture • Support to Civil Works/Military • Support to Emergency Ops US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS DIVISION BOUNDARIES Lieutenant General Todd Semonite Commanding General and Chief of Engineers Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HQ, USACE Facts: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) employs approximately 35,000 Civilian Employees and 700 Military personnel with a presence in more than 30 countries and providing reach-back technical and construction expertise to more than 100 counties worldwide. USACE owns and operates 694 dams; maintains 12,000 miles of waterways, 239 locks and 926 Coastal, Great Lakes and inland channels and harbors. About 1.4 trillion of U.S. trade moves through the ports and waterways that we manage. USACE is the Nation's largest provider of outdoor recreation operating 2,380 recreation areas. Our projects host about 370 million visitors who spend some $16 billion yearly; supporting an estimated 270,000 jobs. USACE is the largest owner and operator of hydroelectric power plants in the U.S., providing 3% of the total national electric capacity, producing approximately 83.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in its 75 hydropower plants. The electricity generated nearly $4 billion in gross revenue. SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION DISTRICT BOUNDARIES Brigadier General Diana Holland Commander and Division Engineer South Atlantic Division Division Facts: The Corps of Engineers’ South Atlantic Division is one of eight regional offices of the Corps overseeing military and water-resources design, construction, and operation in the eight states in the Southeast, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The division has five districts located in Wilmington, NC; Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; Jacksonville, FL; and Mobile, AL. The South Atlantic Division designs and builds major military facilities for the Army and Air Force in the Southeast. Serving 11 major Army posts and 13 Air Force bases, the division builds barracks, hospitals, office buildings, commissaries, and other facilities to meet the needs of the American military. Within the division boundaries, 32 percent of the stateside Army and 18 percent of the Air Force find their home, and four major commands have their headquarters. The Mobile and Savannah Districts handle military programs for the division. Thirty-three multiple-purpose projects in the Southeast provide citizens with flood control, hydroelectric power, water supply, recreation, navigation, and wildlife enhancement. The South Atlantic Division operates and maintains more than 6,000 miles of federal navigable channel and 29 major harbors in the region. The division also has a growing environmental-restoration workload, including the largest single environmental-restoration project in the world, the Everglades Restoration in South Florida. MOBILE DISTRICT RIVER BASINS & BOUNDARIES Colonel James A. DeLapp Commander and District Engineer Mobile District District Facts: Established in 1815, the Mobile District employs 1,100 civilian personnel and approximately 10 military officers with a presence that covers the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi as well as all Central and South America. The Mobile District manages a $1 billion Military, Civil Works, and International/Inter-agency Support program that responds to disasters, manages water resource infrastructure, protects the environment, and provides facilities for our national defense and interagency partners. The Civil Works mission includes the operation and maintenance of six major river systems providing over 2,200 miles of navigation, seven deep-water harbors, 21 shallow draft ports, and flood control with over 67 projects that have prevented in excess of $200 million in flood damages over the last ten years. The District’s eight hydropower facilities generate 2.06 billion kilowatts of electricity and return $44.8 million of the U.S. Treasury. Mobile also manages one of the largest recreation programs in the Federal government with 27 lakes and 464 recreation areas averaging more than 34.1 million visitors a year. Mobile District provides project management, construction, and engineer services to support the Department of Defense Military Construction, International support to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), and Inter-Agency Support to NASA, FBI and other federal agencies. The District also provides engineering studies and other technical assistance such as master planning, environmental management and real estate support. HURRICANE MARIA RECOVERY MISSION IN PUERTO RICO 900+ USACE Employees at Peak 4 Field Offices Established Data as of 20 FEB 2018 By the Numbers Hurricane CAT 5 38” of Rainfall 154 Days since Storm 3.4 Million Population 200,000 Require Power 95% Lost Power / Comms 67,000 Roof Repairs 1,600+ Temp Generators 3.9 Million CY of Debris $90+ Billion in Damages PUERTO RICO POWER GRID REPAIR TRANSMISSION LINE STATUS MATERIALS REQUIRED (Not a Complete list)  20 Million Feet of Conductor (Wire)  60,000 Power Poles (Wood, Metal, Concrete)  134,000 Insulators  6,500 Transformers PERSONNEL • 4445 Distribution Workers • 1034 Transmission Workers • 5479 TOTAL Field Workers Data as of 20 FEB 2018 MOBILE HARBOR DEEPENING AND WIDENING “Modernizing the Port of Mobile is necessary because 2/3rds of the Port of Mobile’s vessel traffic today is restricted or delayed directly impacting shipper costs and competitiveness.” - James K. Lyons, ASPA Director Full Service Seaport  10th Largest in the U.S.  58M+ Tons of Cargo Handled Port-wide Growth Steadily Climbs  Record 2017 20% Container Growth  Ranked #2 Steel Port in U.S.  Ocean Carriers continue to add service Strong Exporter of U.S Materials and Goods Contributes Significantly to the Economy  153,000+ Jobs  $25.1B in economic value GENERAL REEVALUATION REPORT SCHEDULE Public Meetings Public Scoping Jan. 2016 NEPA Scoping Sep 2017 Draft SEIS Mar 2017 Feb 2018 Jun 2018 Alternative Formulation and Analysis GRR Alternatives Milestone Feb. 2016 • Identify study objectives • Define problems & opportunities • NEPA scoping • Inventory & forecast • Formulate alternative plans • Evaluate alternatives & identify reasonable array Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) Milestone March 2018 • Develop the “Future without Project Condition” • Analyze, evaluate and compare alternatives to identify TSP • Prepare the Draft Integrated GRR and SEIS • Vertical team concurrence on tentatively selected plan • Release Draft Integrated GRR/SEIS report review (Public, Agency, HQ) Final SEIS Aug. 2019 Feasibility-level Analysis Agency Decision Milestone Nov. 2018 Division Engineer Transmittal Letter May 2019 • Respond to comments in the SEIS • Agency consultation activities • Agency endorsement of recommended plan • Prepare the Final Integrated GRR and SEIS • Final integrated report package transmitted to Corps Headquarters Record of Decision (ROD) Dec. 2019 Report Approval GRR Approval Nov. 2019 • Headquarters’ review of final report • Final SEIS; Alabama state and Federal agency review • GRR approval • Record of Decision signed MOBILE HARBOR GENERAL REEVALUATION REPORT 4-year $7.8M STUDY Began Nov 2015 Complete Nov 2019 Current Measures Under Consideration • Deepening: 48’ to 50’ (50’ to 52’ at entrance) • Widener: 100’ (3 miles) • Bend Easing • Turning Basin Modification 1880’s 1913 1926 1933 1964 1989-Today Modeling 50’x500’ Authorized 55’x550’ Tentatively Proposed Placement Locations • Formerly mined relic shell area • Sand Island Beneficial Use Area (SIBUA) • Pelican/Sand Island Complex • Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Area Site (ODMDS) Release of Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement scheduled for June 2018 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS EUROPE PACIFIC CENTRAL AMERICA Concepts Behind Mobile Harbor Economic Analysis • Growth is assumed only to the capacity of the facilities SOUTH AMERICA Mobile Harbor Trade Routes • Deeper channels allow vessels to load more efficiently Commodity Forecast Major Components of Mobile Harbor Economic Analysis Mobile Fleet Mobile Fleet Forecast Forecast • Channel widening reduces transit delays/wait times to gain efficiencies • The project benefits are reduction in transportation costs Evolution of container ships Post-Panamax ships make up 16% of the world’s container fleet today, but carry 45% of the cargo. New Panamax ships are the largest that can pass through the new locks in 2016. World Fleet World Fleet Forecast Forecast National Economic Development (NED) Plan maximizes net benefits at 51 foot depth Historic Historic Vessel Calls Vessel Calls MOBILE BAY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE Setting for Mobile Bay Coastal Considerations • Shallow bay (≈ 9’), long deep channel • Ongoing Studies • 2nd largest delta, 4th largest drainage area in U.S. • Beneficial use of dredged material • High biodiversity • Effects on coastal processes • Fresh, brackish, estuarine & marine habitats • National Estuary designation, 1995 Impacts to Other Resources • Close coordination with State and Federal Agencies (USFWS, EPA, ADEM, ADCNR, NMFS) • Endangered Species • Wildlife • Commercial fisheries • Recreational fishing • Sea level rise • Cultural resources AQUATIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT Mean Salinity - July 2010 Overview • Assessing potential impacts to wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, benthic invertebrates, oysters, fish • Model outputs compare water quality (salinity, dissolved oxygen) using existing and post-project conditions • Sea level rise scenario - 0.5 meter intermediate projection per USACE guidance at Dauphin Island Model grid consists of 30 blocks & 48,000 cells Model Block 54 Baseline No Measurable Change With Project AQUATIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT – WETLANDS Approach • Wetland mapping - 77,000 ac mapped; 43 community types; >800 on-site samples • Assessed potential exceedance of salinity thresholds Results • No wetland losses anticipated • All vegetation within acceptable environmental tolerance ranges • All wetlands within ideal growth conditions • Sea level rise will result in substantial inundation of existing wetlands • Project impacts remain negligible under 0.5 meter sea level rise scenario SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION (SAVs) Approach • Mobile Bay SAV extent verified (>6,000 ac) across 55 community types • Salinity tolerances established for each community and adjusted to local conditions Results • No loss of SAV habitat expected • Sufficient dissolved oxygen present under all scenarios • Under expected (average) salinity conditions few impacts expected for most species • Potential stress of Eurasian watermilfoil (invasive species), water celery, and coon’s tail for short duration • No major differences seen between baseline and postproject conditions under sea level rise scenario Potential increase in salinity above tolerance thresholds for 3 species AQUATIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT – OYSTERS Approach Oyster Larvae Tracking Domain • 13 adult oyster reefs (>3600 ac) assessed for salinity and DO impacts • Simulated oyster larval movement through integrated hydrodynamic, water quality, and larval tracking models Results • Oyster larvae particle tracking displays 100% survivorship under all scenarios • Dissolved oxygen levels stay well above minimum oyster tolerances • Salinity stays within oyster tolerance ranges • Oyster model predicts no increase in larvae flushing out of Mobile Bay • Sea-level rise scenario predicts no oyster mortality Cedar Point Reef Brookley Reef AQUATIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT – BENTHICS Approach • 240 samples taken in freshwater, transitional, and upper bay habitats • Locations of changes in invertebrate communities identified Results • Community transitions from saline to freshwater will remain similar to baseline conditions. • Degree of freshwater (river) inputs dictates species transition locations • Impacts to fish via prey availability appear negligible Spring Fall AQUATIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT – FISH Approach • Data obtained from AL Marine Resources (2005-2015) and supplemented by USACE • 98,000 individual fish, 140 species Freshwater • Linked salinity and abundance of community members Results Transitional • No impacts expected due to salinity for:  Freshwater species  Freshwater species entering estuary Marine  Resident estuary species  Marine species entering estuary  Marine species AL Marine Resources sampling stations ERDC sampling stations AQUATIC RESOURCES ASSESSMENT – SUMMARY • No major impacts (i.e., loss of resources) anticipated for:  Wetlands  SAV  Oysters  Benthic Invertebrates  Fish • Project impacts remain negligible under 0.5 meter sea level rise scenario DREDGED MATERIAL PLACEMENT New Work Placement US Army Corps of Engineers. Maintenance Dredging DAPHNE :uqd mutual? I ?a I?m DIM .M?l I - if 0 CLEAR MAJ-NC 31.43.?: Prmuwb . ENGINEERING ANALYSIS – SEDIMENT TRANSPORT • Increases in average annual shoaling of 5-20% estimated within the navigation channel. • Minimum bed level changes between with project and existing conditions estimated in the bay and ebb-tidal shoal. Mobile Bay Sediment Transport Modeling (SEDZLG) With Project Simulation Percent Increase in Channel Shoaling Mobile Pass Sediment Transport Modeling (Delft 3D) With Project Condition 10 Year Simulation Bed Level Change (+/- Erosion/Deposition, m) With Project – Existing Condition Bed Level Change (+/- Erosion/Deposition, m) Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ENGINEERING ANALYSIS – MOBILE PASS EVOLUTION Short and long term representation of sediment movement along the ebb-tidal shoal. Three quadrants showing how sand moves along the system. Mobile Pass Bed Level Change 1941 to 2002 (+/- Erosion/Deposition, ft) Depth change reproduced from Byrnes et. al, 2008 ”Evaluation of Channel Dredging on Shoreline Response at and Adjacent to Mobile Pass, Alabama” Mobile Pass Bed Level Change 1987 to 2015 (+/- Erosion/Deposition, ft) Depth change reproduced Flocks, et. al, 2017 ”Analysis of Seafloor Change around Dauphin Island, Alabama, 1987–2015” Open-File Report 2017–1112. Mobile Pass Bed Level Change 2002 to 2014 (+/- Erosion/Deposition, ft) Depth change generated from USACE 2002 and NOAA 2014 surveys. Mississippi Sound 4? Guif of Mexico 1941 to 2002 Depth Change (ft) - <-10.o - 400? -8.0 Existing Channel Extent . -8.D--6.0 Survey Limits [3 5.0.4.0 Elevation (ft) NAVDBB - <-75.0 - Uncertainty 4.0-0.0 - 6.0?8.0 . 15.0-10.0 - >100 Negative values (yellow to red) represent erosion and positive values (green) represent deposition. . -75.0--65.0 . -12.0--10.0 . -55.0--55.0 . -10.0--s.0 I -55.0 --45.0 - -s.0 --6.0 - 45.0 ?35.0 C) 45.0 ?4.0 - -35.0 - -25.0 C) ?4.0 - -2.0 - -25.0 --15.0 -2.0 - 0.0 1 2 I. Mobile Ba . Existing Dredged Material PlacementAreas Guif of Mexico Notes: 1. Elevations were extracted irom the DEM for Mobile Bayr assembled by NOAA in 2011 based on the most updated spatial data at the time. 2. Arrows represents direction of sediment movement. 3. Depth change for Mobile Pass reproduced from Bymes et. al. 2003. 4 war-E US Army Carps of Engineers. Mobile Bay Gulf of Mexico . 1987 to 2015 Depth Change (ft) . <-10.0 . -10.0--8.0 - Uncertainty 4.0-5.0 . 6.0-8.0 - a.0-10.0 - >100 Negative values (yellow to red) represent erosion and positive values (green) represent deposition. Existing Channel Extent Existing Dredged Material Placement Areas E: Survey Limits Elevation (ft) NAVD88 Notes: . ?75.0 - ?15.0 ?12.0 1. Elevations were extractedfrom - J50 _55_0 - _1 2.0 400 the DEM for Mobile Bayr assembled by NOAA in 2011 based on the most - 650 ?55'0 - 4 0'0 _8'0 updated spatial data atthetime. - '55-0 '45-0 . '80 '5-0 2. Arrows represents direction of - 4.15.0 - -35_0 - ?4_0 sediment movement. . _35_0 _25_0 _4_0 _20 3. Depth change for Mobile Pass re roduoed from Flocks et. al. 2017. - -25.0 --15.0 -2Army Carps of Engineers. Mississippi Sound Mobile Bay Gulf of Mexico I (i Guif of Mexico . . Duly-n..- I 2002 to 2014 Depth Change (ft) . <-1o.0 - 400.30 a 43.0?45.0 15.0?44.0 Uncertainty 40-60 . 6.0-8.0 - arr-10.0 - >100 Negative values (yellow to red) represent erosion and positive values (green) represent deposition. Existing Channel Extent Existing Dredged Material Placement Areas E: Survey Limits Elevation {ft} NAVD88 Notes: - 4 _75?0 - 45.0 312.0 1. Elevations were extracted from the DEM for Mobile Bay assembled - ?65-0 - 42-0 by based on the most - ?55-0 - ?55-0 - 40-0 ?8-0 updated spatial data atthetime. - ?55,0 ?45.0 . ?8,0 ?6,0 2. Arrows represents direction of . _45_0 "350 _5_0 _4_0 sediment movement. 3. Depth change for Mobile Pass . '35 0 "2570 4'0 '2 0 generated from NOAA 2014and - -25.0 --15.0 -2.0 - 0.0 USAGE 2002 surveys. Miles '9 US Army Cams of Engineers. IN CONCLUSION… Summary What’s Next • Study is evaluating depth of 48 to 50 foot with a 100 foot, 3-mile widener • Initiate mitigation analysis • Data collection and engineering models complete • Update engineering/economic costs based on mitigation assessments • Preliminary analysis indicates that habitat impacts appear to be minimal • Alternate placement sites are being considered for bar channel maintenance material • Finalize proposed project dimensions • Present Tentatively Selected Plan • Complete Draft Report with SEIS • Release Draft Report June 2018 MOBILE DISTRICT CONTACTS Internet and Social Media sam.usace.army.mil Phone, Email, Mailing Address Public Affairs Office (General Information) (251) 690-2505 facebook.com/usacemobile E-mail: MobileHarborGRR@usace.army.mil twitter.com/usacemobile Instagram.com/usacemobile flickr.com/photos/usacemobile Postal Mail: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District P.O. Box 2288 Mobile, AL 36628-0001