OMAHA, Neb. – A draft environmental assessment for a proposal to control two invasive species in Omaha’s Glenn Cunningham Lake is currently available for public review. The draft EA evaluates the impacts of drawing the lake down during the 2018 fall and winter months to freeze the zebra mussels and applying Rotenone in the remaining pools to control common carp.
The proposed project includes fully drawing down the lake to approximate water surface elevation of 1101 mean sea level and maintaining that level over the fall and winter months to desiccate and freeze zebra mussels. While the lake is in the drawn-down condition, the entire park would be closed to all citizens to reduce safety risks involved with ice formation and exposed sediments/mud. Draw down is proposed to begin in October 2018 and be completed on or before December 1, 2018.
In addition, the chemical Rotenone would be applied to any remaining pools of water contained within the lake to kill the common carp. Rotenone would be applied during either the fall or spring months depending upon when full draw down levels could be achieved. Following the Rotenone application, the lake would be allowed to naturally refill which would take only one season under normal precipitation events. After the lake refills, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission would restock the lake with a variety of desired sport fish to include hatchery-sized, one-year old and adult-sized fish.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft environmental assessment, which is available for viewing at: www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Reports/. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PMA-C; ATTN: Matthew Vandenberg/Cunningham Lake EA; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil. Comments must be postmarked or received no later than October 17, 2018.
This draft EA is consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Corps’ regulations for implementing NEPA (33 CFR 325 and Engineering Regulation 200-2-2) and other applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Release no. 18-074