Environmental Assessment U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Cumberland Marina, Proposed Expansion Lake Cumberland, Kentucky m US Army Corps of Engineers ® Nashville District DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Proposed Expansion of Lake Cumberland Marina Wolf Creek Dam and Lake Cumberland Project Russell County, Kentucky April 13, 2020 For Further Information Contact: Travis Wiley, Biologist U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District Project Planning Branch i Environmental Assessment U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Cumberland Marina, Proposed Expansion Lake Cumberland, Kentucky TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION ..................................................................... 1 1.1 Authorization ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background ........................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Current Proposal ................................................................................................ 7 1.4 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................. 8 1.5 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................... 9 2 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ............................................................................. 9 2.1 Alternative 1 – No Action Alternative .................................................................. 9 2.2 Alternative 2 – Applicant’s Preferred Alternative (Water Extension to Russell County Park) .............................................................................................................. 10 2.3 Alternative 3 – Southward Extension of Lease Area ........................................ 11 2.4 Alternatives Eliminated From Further Consideration ........................................ 13 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ......... 13 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Physiography and Topography ........................................................................ 13 3.3 Aquatic Resources ........................................................................................... 14 3.3.1 Wetlands .................................................................................................... 14 3.3.2 Streams ..................................................................................................... 14 3.3.3 Lake Cumberland ...................................................................................... 14 3.4 Water Quality ................................................................................................... 15 3.5 Terrestrial Resources ....................................................................................... 18 3.5.1 Terrestrial Flora ......................................................................................... 18 3.5.2 Terrestrial Fauna ....................................................................................... 19 3.6 Archaeological and Historic Resources ............................................................ 19 3.7 Threatened and Endangered Species .............................................................. 20 3.8 Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) ........................................ 21 3.9 Health and Safety ............................................................................................. 22 3.10 Recreation .................................................................................................... 29 3.11 Socioeconomics ............................................................................................ 32 ii Environmental Assessment U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Cumberland Marina, Proposed Expansion Lake Cumberland, Kentucky 3.12 Air Quality ..................................................................................................... 33 3.13 Aesthetics ..................................................................................................... 33 4 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ....................................................................................... 34 4.1 Past and Present Actions ................................................................................. 34 4.2 Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ......................................................... 35 4.3 Combined Cumulative Effects .......................................................................... 36 5 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE ........................................................................ 36 5.1 Executive Order 11990-Wetlands .................................................................... 36 5.2 Farmland Policy Protection Act ........................................................................ 37 5.3 Executive Order 11988-Floodplain Management ............................................. 37 5.4 Clean Water Act / Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act ........................... 37 5.5 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) ............................. 37 5.6 Endangered Species Act .................................................................................. 38 5.7 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act ................................................................... 38 5.8 National Historic Preservation Act .................................................................... 38 5.9 Executive Order 13514 – Environmental Justice.............................................. 39 5.10 Clean Air Act ................................................................................................. 39 5.11 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 39 5.12 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) ...................................... 40 6 PUBLIC AND AGENCY COORDINATION ............................................................. 40 6.1 Public and Agency Involvement ....................................................................... 40 6.1.1 Public Meeting ........................................................................................... 40 6.1.2 Public Comments ...................................................................................... 40 6.2 Notice of Availability (NOA) .............................................................................. 46 7 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 46 8 REFERENCES....................................................................................................... 48 iii Environmental Assessment U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Cumberland Marina, Proposed Expansion Lake Cumberland, Kentucky FIGURES Figure 1. Lake Cumberland Vicinity Map ......................................................................... 2 Figure 2. LCM Lease Area Prior to June, 2018 Amendment .......................................... 4 Figure 3. LCM Lease Area After June, 2018 Amendment .............................................. 4 Figure 4. Initial Proposal for Expansion of Alligator II Lease (November 15, 2017) ........ 5 Figure 5. Second Proposal for LCM Expansion (February 26, 2018) .............................. 6 Figure 6. Alternative 2 (Applicant's Preferred Alternative) ............................................ 10 Figure 7. Alternative 3, Southward Extension of Lease Area (Conceptual Configuration Drafted by USACE; was not Submitted by the Applicant) ............................. 11 Figure 8. Normal Pool Operating Levels on Lake Cumberland ..................................... 24 Figure 9. Alternative 2 Configuration in Relation to 680’ elevation ............................... 26 Figure 10. Potential Dock Locations under Alternative 3; Relative to 680’ Elevation ... 28 TABLES Table 1. Impaired Waters in the Lake Cumberland Watershed (HUC-8 05130103) ...... 17 Table 2. Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Potentially Present in Project Area (USFWS 2019) ......................................................................................... 21 Table 3. Annual Visitation Data for Lake Cumberland Facilities, reported via VERS (Visitation Estimation and Reporting System) ............................................................... 29 Table 4. Travel times Associated with Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 ..................................... 31 Table 5. Occupancy Lists at Marinas on Lake Cumberland .......................................... 36 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. Maps, Plans, and Project Description from the Project Application (July 24, 2019) APPENDIX B. USACE Correspondence (September 20, 2019) Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard and Smith Response (December 17, 2019) APPENDIX C. Cultural Resources Coordination iv Environmental Assessment U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Cumberland Marina, Proposed Expansion Lake Cumberland, Kentucky 1 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District (USACE) is evaluating the impacts of a proposed expansion of Lake Cumberland Marina (LCM) through the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA). LCM is a commercial marina at the Wolf Creek Dam and Lake Cumberland Project, Russell County, Kentucky. Project coordinates are N. 36.987689, W. -84.926617. 1.1 Authorization This EA is being conducted under Operation and Maintenance authority for Wolf Creek Dam and Lake Cumberland. Wolf Creek Dam and Lake Cumberland