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Vermillion Harbor, Erie County, Ohio

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Vermillion Harbor, Erie County, Ohio 3 May 1972 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT VERMILION HARBOR, ERIE COUNTY, OHIO Prepared by: U. S. Army Engineer District, Buffalo, New York 3 May 1972 Vermilion Harbor, Erie County, Ohio ( ) Draft (X) Final Environmental Statement Responsible Office: U. S. Army Engineer District, Buffalo, New York 1. Name of Action; (X) Administrative ( ) Legislative 2. Description of Action: The project involves the construction of a detached "T" type breakwater, a westerly and an easterly approach channel, and river channel extension to permit safe entry into the harbor under reasonably fresh weather conditions and to provide adequate depths in the river channel. Located in Erie County, Ohio. 3. a. Environmental impacts: The modifications to the harbor will permit safer and more extensive utilization of the harbor during rough weather. b. A. Alternatives: No-development. 5. Comments Received: Environmental Protection Agency Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife United States Coast Guard Bureau of Outdoor Recreation State of Ohio, Dept, of Natural Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Resources Agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Vermilion Port Authority Administration Lake Erie Watershed Conservation Lorain County Regional Planning Foundation Commission 6. Draft statement to CEQ 19 NOV 71 . Final statement to CEQ i ^ . environmental s t a t e m e n t VERMILION HARBOR, ERIE COUNTY. OHIO Prepared by U. S. A m y Engineer District, Buffalo, New York 1. Project Description. a. The recommended improvements are designed to permit safe entry into the harbor under reasonably fresh weather conditions and to provide adequate depths in the river channel to insure access to and full utilization of existing doc'^n and marine service f a d - lities. Vermilion Harbor is located in Erie County, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Vermilion River, about 37 miles by water westerly of Cleveland, Ohio, and 21 miles easterly of Sandusky, Ohio. The existing project was authorized by the 1836 River and Harbor Act and modified by several acts through 1958. Title I of the River and Harbor Act, (Public Law 85-500, 85th Congress), approved 3 July 1958, authorized improvement of Vermilion Harbor, Ohio, in accordance with plans and conditions set forth in House Document Number 231, 85th Congress, First Session. There are federally improved harbors at Lorain and Huron, 11 miles east and west of Vermilion, respectively. The harbor comprises the lower 3,600 feet of Vermilion River, four artificial lagoons, and a channel of approach from the lake. Existing are 2 parallel piers, 125 feet apart, 970 feet in length on the west and 750 feet on the east, extending from the shore at the mouth of the river to a natural depth of 10 feet in the lake, and a dredged channel between the piers. The recommended improvements involve a total of 9,000 cubic yards of earth and; (1) A detached "T" type breakwater in Lake Erie, some 864 feet long, about 300 feet north of the outer end of the east pier, sheltering the opening between the existing piers at the mouth of Vermilion River; (2) A westerly lake approach channel, 150 feet wide and 8 feet deep, with a deepened section, 250 feet wide and 12 feet diep, extending for distances of about 500 feet and 200 feet, respectively, involving 3,800 cubic yards of rock excavation, exposing a negligible area of new rock face; (3) An easterly lake approach channel, 250 feet wide and 12 feet deep, extending for a distance of about 900 feet; (4) A river channel extension, 100 feet vide and 8 feet deep, extending for a distance of 1,820 feet, and a further extension, 80 feet wide and 8 feet deep, extending for a distance of 355 feet, with a 100-foot transition section. The total length of the inproved river channel extension will be 2,275 feet. b. Material dredged from the lake approach channels, considered suitable for lake disposal, will be deposited in the lake disposal area, located 2-1/4 miles north of the harbor entrance. No muni­ cipal water supply intake is in or near the lake disposal area. The material dredged from the river channel, not suitable for lake disposal, will be deposited in the land disposal area, located 3-1/2 miles south of the City of Vermilion, as shown on the attached map. Maintenance, including dredging, will be covered by its impact statement. All determination of suitability of material for lake disposal will be made by the Environmental Protection Agency, using their criteria. c. The existing project was authorized by the 1836 River and Harbor Act and modified by several acts through 1958. The Huron to Liberty Street reach of the Vermilion River has not been altered by any prior Federal Project. Based on the latest available infor­ mation, the proposed project is expected to provide benefits equal to 3.3 times the computable costs. Contractor's earnings are expected to approximate 1.25 million dollars. 2. Environmental Setting Without the Project a. The Vermilion River has its source in the Savannah Lakes of Ashland County and flows generally north for a distance of nearly 59 miles into Lake Erie. The watershed has a maximum width of just over 16 miles and a maximum length of about 34 miles. Six major tributaries enter the river as it flows to the lake. All of the tributaries, except one, are characterized by relatively broad, well defined, valleys. The Vermilion River flows through a relatively wide valley section throughout most of its length. In the upper 15 miles within Ashland County, the valley is defined by moderately sloping sides up to 100 feet or more above the stream bed. The central 23 miles of the river within Huron County, are less well-defined and the adjacent high ground averages only 50 feet above the stream bed. Near the village of Wakeman, about 21 miles upstream of the mouth, the river starts a meandering course to the lake through a gorge averaging 100 feet in depth and ranging from 200 feet to 2,000 feet in width. The valley walls broaden out and disappear about one mile upstream of the river mouth at a point just upstream of the principal development of the City of Vermilion. The first mile of the river, upstream of the Norfolk and Western Railway bridge has a maximum depth of more than 7 feet even during low water periods. The river channel bottom is below mean lake level for approximately three miles from its mouth and has a relatively flat slope throughout its length, averaging less than 8 feet per mile. The adjacent lake areas support a modest sport and commercial fishery. Some waterfowl are found in the area. Ic is not expected that any aquatic species will be introduced or replaced as a result of this project. Away from the river, the area is used for agri­ cultural purposes. The land surface is relatively level, with no known features of unique natural beauty. b. The City of Vermilion, with a population of 9,870, straddles the Township of Brownhelm in Erie County and the Township of Vermilion in Lorain County. Other 1970 populations are as follows: Brownhelm Township 5,220 Erie County 75,100 Vermilion Township 8,450 Lorain County 256,840 c. The Vermilion River Valley has a history of serious flooding. Records indicate that serious floods have occurred at repeated intervals dating back to March 1913. During July 1969, unusually heavy rains of short duration struck the area and caused the maximum flood of record along the Vermilion River. The existing river channel was unable to contain the high river discharge and severe overbank flooding occurred in the Vermilion area. Heavy seas and rough weather adversely affect commercial fishing about 10 days each year. d. The City of Vermilion has an excellent small-boat harbor which is one of the largest on the Great Lakes. Eleven hundred boats use the harbor annually. The existing Federal harbor pro­ ject provides a channel of approach from the lake, two parallel piers extending into the lake, and a maintained channel between the piers and extending upstream to about the foot of Huron Street. These facilities provide access for a large number of recreational craft and access and mooring for a number of Lake Erie fishing boats. The City of Vermilion is well known as a summer resort and a large part of the city's development is water-oriented. Crystal Beach, a 3,700-foot long privately owned area, is adjacent to the project and offers free access and use to the public. e. The improvement of the harbor will probably result in in­ creased recreational and water-oriented development. The detached cellular breakwater and the improved lake approach channels will reduce the risk of marine accidents which endanger life and property. The harbor improvement would not endanger any known historic, scien­ tific or archeological features. The project will not bring about any noticeable change in the water levels of Vermilion River or the adjoining lagoons. f. To ninlmize the Impact on aquatic life, material dredged from the river channel considered not suitable for lake disposal as determined by EPA, will be placed in a confined land disposal area and care will be taken to insure that the completed disposal area will not be unattractive. The site of the land disposal area, selected by the Vermilion Port Authority, is an abandoned quarry which is owned by the Vermilion Fish and Game Association. In recent years, the quarry has been used as a township trash dump and has become an unsightly scar, 200 ft. x 300 ft., on the surrounding landscape.
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