Study initiation notice, Limited Reevaluation Report for reauthorization of Washington D.C. and vicinity flood risk management project

Washington D.C. Flood Risk Management Project - Limited Reevaluation Report

All Interested Parties: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District (USACE) is developing an updated Limited Reevaluation Report (LRR) to request project reauthorization for the Washington, D.C. and Vicinity Flood Risk Management Project (hereafter referred to as the DC Project). This letter is to inform you that the USACE is preparing a supplemental environmental assessment (EA) for the DC Project.  This supplemental EA will be incorporated into the final LRR for the DC Project.

The DC Project was originally authorized by Congress under the Flood Control Act of 1936 for the purpose of protecting downtown Washington D.C. during flood emergencies. The DC Project is located in the downtown area of Washington, D.C. and consists of features at two different sites: Potomac Park and Fort McNair (Enclosure). The Potomac Park site is located on National Park Service (NPS) grounds along the National Mall and includes the Potomac Park levee between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument; a closure located at 23'd Street and Constitution Avenue, NW; and a closure located at 17"' Street and Constitution, NW. The Fort McNair site is located on the grounds of Fort McNair near P and 2nd Streets, SW and includes a closure and drainage control structures.

For this LRR effort, USACE will prepare a supplemental EA for the future work needed to complete the DC Project. This EA will document changes to the project designs, as well as address any changes to impacts since completion of the 2009 NPS Potomac Park Levee Project Environmental Assessment. In addition, the supplemental EA will evaluate any impacts from the proposed Fort McNair closures. This supplemental EA will incorporate the 2009 NPS EA and include a re-evaluation of the impacts resulting from the components of the DC Project that have not been fully constructed.

To assist in the scoping of this study, federal and state resource agencies receiving a copy of this letter are requested to provide information concerning interests within their organization's area of responsibility or expertise within 30 days from the date of this notice. Please send correspondence to the address below. If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Christopher Spaur of our Civil Project  Development  Branch  by  e-mail  at  Christopher.c.spaur@usace.army.mil  or  by  telephone at (410) 962-6134.