Public Notice: Carmel River Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement (CRFREE) Project

PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment
Carmel River Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement (CRFREE) Project
HMGP-4344-539-094

Monterey County has applied for funding assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to restore the floodplain of the Carmel River in Monterey County, California. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, FEMA has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed project.

The purpose of the project is to reduce flood hazards and the risk of flood damage in Monterey County within the CRFREE project area. Numerous incidents of flooding have been reported since at least 1911, and flood events in 1995 and 1998 produced two of the highest flows on record, overtopping and damaging State Route (SR) 1 and causing substantial residential and commercial property damage. The Proposed Action would restore the natural functions and values of the Carmel River floodplain, including connectivity with the coastal and estuarine waters of the Carmel Lagoon. The floodplain restoration component would include the removal of portions of existing levees along the south side of the river channel, widening of the floodplain, and creation of new distributary channels that would flow to the south arm of the Carmel Lagoon. The County, under a California Department of Transportation Encroachment Permit, would replace a portion of the existing SR 1 roadway embankment with a new causeway to allow floodwaters to flow under the highway to the south arm of the Carmel Lagoon. This new path for floodwaters would reduce flooding in developed areas to the north and would result in changes in the extent and depth of floodwaters during a flood event in downstream areas. 

The proposed floodplain restoration would require flood mitigation be applied to the Carmel Area Wastewater District's (CAWD) pipeline and California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) Barn Complex components downstream. These flood mitigation measures are required only because of the proposed floodplain restoration and causeway components, and thus are considered connected actions to the floodplain restoration. Therefore, all four components of the Proposed Action are evaluated in this EA, and they include (1) floodplain restoration, (2) replacement of a section of the SR 1 embankment with a causeway, (3) undergrounding the CAWD’s pipeline crossing of the Carmel Lagoon, and (4) the construction of two earthen berms or the elevation of historic structures above the projected base flood elevation to mitigate potential flood impacts to the State Parks Barn Complex at Carmel River State Beach. The alternatives evaluated in the draft EA include the No Action Alternative and the Proposed Action.

The Draft EA has been prepared in accordance with all requirements of NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Executive Order 11988 (“Floodplain Management”), Executive Order 11990 (“Protection of Wetlands”), and the implementing regulations of FEMA, for the purpose of assessing the potential impacts of the Proposed Action on the human and natural environment. The Draft EA summarizes purpose of and need for the project, the affected environment, and potential environmental consequences of the proposed activities. It is available for review and comment and can be viewed on or downloaded from FEMA’s website at https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/environmental-historic/nepa-repository. Monterey County will make the draft EA available on its website at: https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-a-h/housing-community-development/planning-services/library-current-major-projects/carmel-river-free. Printed copies are also available for viewing or photocopying at the Monterey County Government Center Permit Desk at 1441 Schilling Place, 2nd floor, Salinas, CA 93901.

The comment period will conclude 30 days after the initial publication of this Public Notice. Written comments on the Draft EA can be mailed or emailed to the contact listed below. If emailing, please include “CRFREE” in your subject line. If no substantive comments are received, the Draft EA and associated Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will become final. Substantive comments received will be addressed as appropriate in a Final EA.

FEMA Region IX Environmental Officer

1111 Broadway, Suite 1200

Oakland, CA 94607-4052

Email: fema-rix-ehp-documents@fema.dhs.gov

FEMA works to ensure that information is accessible for all our customers. If you are having issues with accessing any information presented in the document, please contact us by email at fema-rix-ehp-documents@fema.dhs.gov.