On January 10, 1997, the State of Texas received federal approval of the Coastal Management Program (CMP) (62 Federal Register pp. 1439 - 1440). Under federal law, federal agency activities and actions affecting the Texas coastal zone must be consistent with the CMP goals and policies identified in 31 TAC Chapter 501. Requests for federal consistency review were deemed administratively complete for the following project(s) during the period of August 12, 2019 to August 23, 2019.  As required by federal law, the public is given an opportunity to comment on the consistency of proposed activities in the coastal zone undertaken or authorized by federal agencies.  Pursuant to 31 TAC §§506.25, 506.32, and 506.41, the public comment period extends 30 days from the date published on the Texas General Land Office web site. The notice was published on the web site on Friday, August 30, 2019.  The public comment period for this project will close at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 29, 2019.

FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIONS:

Applicant:Port of Corpus Christi Authority (PCCA)
Location: The proposed Channel Deepening Project (CDP) is located within the existing channel bottom of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel (CCSC) starting at station 110+00 near the southeast side of Harbor Island, traversing easterly through the Aransas Pass, and extending beyond the currently authorized terminus Station -330+00 an additional 29,000 feet terminating out into the Gulf of Mexico at the proposed new Terminus Station -620+00, an approximate distance of 13.8 miles
Latitude & Longitude (NAD 83):  28.824019, -97.054338
Project Description: The applicant is proposing to deepen a portion of the CCSC to depths that vary from -75 to -77 feet mean lower low water (MLLW), plus 2 feet allowable over dredge, plus 2 feet advanced maintenance dredging, which ultimately totals -79 to -81 feet MLLW. The proposed CDP of the CCSC is approximately 1,778 acres and will create approximately 46 million cubic yards (MCY) of new work dredged material (17.1 MCY of clay and 29.2 MCY of sand). The proposed CDP is needed to accommodate transit of fully laden very large crude carriers (VLCCs) that draft approximately 70 feet. The proposed project does not include widening the channel; however, some minor incidental widening of the channel slopes is expected to meet side slope requirements and to maintain the stability of the channel. The applicant is proposing to dispose of the material in several ways. Approximately 13.8 MCY of the clay portion of the new work dredged material located in the offshore reaches between Stations -620+00 to -72+50 would be placed at CCSC Improvement Project (CCSCIP) New Work (NW) Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS). The clay portion of new work dredged material from Stations -72+50 to Station 110+00 would be used beneficially where possible to create perimeter dikes.

Regulated Activities for the proposed CDP consists of:

1. Activities subject to Section 10 of the RHA:
   1. Deepening a portion of the CCSC between Station 110+00 to the proposed extension Station -620+00 by conducting “new work” dredging activities in navigable waters of the US:
      1. Stations 110+00 to -72+00: -79 feet MLLW (-75 feet MLLW plus two feet of advanced maintenance and two feet of allowable overdredge).
      2. Stations -72+00 to -330+00: -81 feet MLLW (-77 feet MLLW plus two feet of advanced maintenance and two feet of allowable overdredge).
      3. Stations -330+00 to Station -620+00: This section represents the expansion of the CCSC an additional 29,000 feet from Station -330+00. This proposed expansion would be dredged to -81 MLLW (-77 feet MLLW plus two feet of advanced maintenance and two feet of allowable overdredge) to reach the -80-foot MLLW bathymetric contour in the Gulf of Mexico.
      4. The existing Inner Basin at Harbor Island will be expanded as necessary to allow VLCC turning. This modification will also include a flare transition from the CCSC within Aransas Pass to meet the turning basin expansion.
2. Activities subject to Section 404 of the CWA:
   1. The proposed placement of new work dredged material into waters of the US for Beneficial Use (BU) sites located in and around Corpus Christi and Redfish Bays which also includes the Redfish Bay State Scientific Research Area.
   2. The dredged material may also be used for dune restoration on San Jose Island (SJI).

Proposed feeder berms (B1 – B9) for beach restoration along SJI and Mustang
Island are proposed.
3. Activities subject to Section 103 of the MPRSA:
a. Transportation of new work dredged material to the CCSCIP NW ODMDS.

The proposed total estimated adverse impact to special aquatic sites, specifically wetlands, resulting from the placement of dredged material totals 185.9 acres. The proposed adverse impacts to submerged aquatic vegetation total 58.5 acres. As of the date of this Public Notice, the Corps has not received special aquatic site delineations for wetlands or surveys for submerged aquatic vegetation.
Type of Application: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit application # SWG-2019-00067. This application will be reviewed pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. Note: The consistency review for this project may be conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as part of its certification under §401 of the Clean Water Act.
CMP Project No: 19-1420-F1