Calcasieu River at Devil's Elbow, Louisiana
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8 September 1970 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CALCASIEU RIVER AT DEVIL'/ ELBOW, LOUISIANA 'c PREPARED BY U. S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 8 September 1970 CALCASIEU RIVER AT DEVIL'S ELBOW, LOUISIANA ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Project Description. The recommended project is designed to improve the deep draft navigation capability of an industrial canal linking a newly formed industrial park to the Calcasieu River. The improvement is located about 23 miles above the mouth of the river in the Devil's Elbow area. A 40x400 foot deep draft ship channel now exists on the Calcasieu River and it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the city of Lake Charles some 34 miles up river. The recommended improvement calls for the deepening and widening of an existing 35X300 foot industrial canal to a 40X400 foot dimension, the construction of a 3000 foot extension of this channel and a 1000 foot square turning basin also to the 40 foot depth. The total length of the improved channel will be about 2.8 miles. The material obtained during the dredging process will be placed on lands within the industrial park and on Choupique Island which is immediately adjacent to the industrial canal. The Committee on Public Works of the United States Senate requested this study by resolution adoped on 23 June 1965. The basic charge of this reso lution was to determine the advisability of modifying the existing Calcasieu River navigation project to provide for the construction and/or maintenance of an industrial canal located in the vicinity of Devils Elbow, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Field studies have been completed and the recommended plan of improvement is now under review by the interested Federal and State agencies. The proposed project has a 1.5 benefit to cost ratio. 2. Environmental Setting Without the Project. The Calcasieu River originates in the hills west of the city of Alexandria, Louisiana and it flows in a southerly direction for about 215 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Flows in the upper basin may range from a high of 180,000 CFS in the winter and spring to zero flow during the summer and fall months. The lower portion of the river from the city of Lake Charles to the Gulf is subject to tidal variation. The existing salt water barrier across the Calcasieu River at the city of Lake Charles is the dividing line between the upper and lower segments of the basin The upper portion of this river basin above the city is rural in nature and the economy of the area is primarily agriculturally oriented. Cattle raising and rice growing are the two major agricultural efforts in the upper basin. As the upper Calcasieu River is the major source of irrigation water supply for the rice crop the barrier was constructed across the river to prevent salt water from degrading the quality of water in the upper basin. The city of Lake Charles which is a major trade and industrial area of southwestern Louisiana is located at the head of a deep draft ship channel leading to the Gulf of Mexico. The waterway enabled the city to participate in the water related industrial growth that has taken place in the gulf coast area. The city has rail, road and air service as well as being linked to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, all of which can serve the transportation needs of the area. The lands adjacent to the Calcasieu River between the city of Lake Charles and the Gulf of Mexico consist of coastal prairie and coastal marsh. With the exception of the new industrial park, this area has no residential, commercial or industrial development, highway or rail facilities of any consequence. However, the area south of the city with its access to the deep draft ship channel and very little development has an excellent potential for future industrial development. The coastal and offshore waters of the State of Louisiana abound in mineral resources such as gas, oil, salt, sulphur and seashells. This has led to the development of large petroleum, petrochemical and related industries along the coast. The Calcasieu River ship channel has resulted in a portion of this industrial development locating in the Lake Charles area. Lands immediately adjacent to the industrial canal which is being con- sidered for improvement are near the transitional zone where coastal prairie meet the coastal marsh. The soils have a high salt content and, therefore, are not conducive to crop production. However, the lands do support a limited amount of cattle grazing. Vegetation in this area consists of scrub oak, black rush, wire grass, salt grass and buck brush. From a regional viewpoint the coastal marsh lands of Louisiana provide an excellent habitat for waterfowl and fur bearing animals. However, the lands adjacent to the proposed improvement are in the zone where marsh is changing to prairie and the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service has indicated that the value of the existing wildlife habitat is quite low. The wildlife populations include small game and fur animals indigenous to the transitional zone. The Sabine National Wildlife Refuge abuts the shores of Lake Calcasieu, about 10 to 12 miles south of the proposed improvement. The waters of the Calcasieu River are valuable from a fishery standpoint but the more valuable habitat lies south of the project in the Lake Calcasieu area. The dominant species of fish in the lake area are sea trout, black drum, sheepshead and croaker. This lake also has a valuable shellfish resource as oyster, shrimp and crab inhabit these waters. Upstream of the lake the fish and shellfish resources diminish and in the project area fish life is very limited and shellfish are practically non-existent. The Calcasieu River below the city of Lake Charles was found to contain a mixture of fresh and salt water. Irrigation return flows in the upper river, municipal and industrial wastes entering the river at Lake Charles and vessel traffic on the main ship channel tend to degrade the quality of the water in the river. Aside from mercury pollution recently discovered in the Lake Calcasieu area Federal and State Pollution Control Agencies have not identified any water quality problems in this waterway. The mercury pollution has re stricted the sale of fin and shellfish taken from Lake Calcasieu. There are no known historical or archeological sites in this area that would be endangered by the proposed project. No rare or endangered species of botanical or zoological origin are known to exist in the project area. 3. Impact Statement. The following information is furnished in response to Section 102 (2) (c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969: a. Identify "the environmental impacts of the proposed action.1* The physical changes in the existing environmental setting are as follows. This project would decrease the land area and increase the water area in the lower basin by about 90 acres. The existing vegetative cover will be subject to alteration when dredged material is placed on 700 acres of land in the industrial park and on 240 acres of land on Choupique Island. The construction of a deep draft ship channel to the industrial park will induce a change in the existing land use pattern in the area as further industrial development takes place. The increased vessel traffic and industrial development contemplated will alter the quality of water in the Calcasieu River. The change in the water-land relationship in this basin brought about by this project is insignificant. The proposal would also have only a minimal impact on the existing botanical or zoological species in the area. The short and long term industrial growth stimulated by this project will increase employment and income and thereby enhance the social well-being of the area residents. The increased channel dimensions and the turning basin will reduce the risk of marine accidents which endanger life, property and the natural resources of the area. The work will not bring about any noticeable change in the water levels of the main river or the side channel. To minimize the impact on aquatic life dredged material will be placed in diked land areas and care will be taken to insure that these disposal areas will not detract from the existing environmental setting. b* Identify "any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the project be implemented." Approximately 1030 acres of land of marginal agricultural or wildlife value will be required for the construction and subsequent maintenance of the proposed channel and the induced industrial expansion brought about by the navigation improvement. About 90 acres of land in the industrial park will be dedicated to the extension of the navigation channel and the turning basin. In addition, 700 acres of marsh and marginal agricultural lands zoned for industrial development will be used for disposal of dredged material. Another 240 acres of land on Choupique Island which abuts this channel will also be diked and used for disposal of dredged material during construction and subsequent maintenance of the waterway. In addition to the change in land use, natural vegetation will be permanently lost in the disposal area located in the industrial park. In Choupique Island the loss of vegetation will be of a temporary nature due to the normal restoration process. The marsh and agricultural lands in the immediate vicinity of the proposed improvement have a low value with respect to existing wildlife habitat so that the construction and subsequent maintenance activities contemplated will have only a minimal impact on wildlife. Increased vessel traffic and industrial activity in the area could further degrade the quality of water and air in the lower Calcasieu River basin but the degree of degradation can be regulated by Federal and State pollution control agencies.