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IN REPLY REFER TO: Unitec't States Department of the interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BLOOMINGTON FIELD OFFICE (ES) 620 South Walker Street Bloomington, Indiana 47403-2121 (812) 334-4261 FAX 334-4273 February 24, 2000 Mr. Neal A. Gehring, Chief C Engineering and Construction Division 1Z ea c U.S. Army Engineer District Detroit P.O. Box 1027 Detroit, Michigan 48231 Attn: Florence Bissell, Environmental Analysis Branch Dear Mr. Gehring: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has reviewed the information provided with your letter of January 20, 2000, concerning a proposed shoreline protection project on the St. Joseph River in the City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The site is designated the North Shore Drive project and is being investigated as an Emergency Stream Bank and Shoreline Protection Project under Section 14 of the Federal Flood Control Act of 1946. These comments have been prepared under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) and are consistent with the intent of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mitigation Policy. The site is approximately 1700 linear feet long along the north bank of the St. Joseph River adjacent to North Shore Drive. Severe bank erosion extends practically to the edge of the pavement in several areas, and 2 storm water outfalls are being undermined. Numerous trees have fallen into the river and many more are in danger of falling. Concrete rubble has been dumped in various locations in an attempt to control the erosion. Two alternatives have been proposed to protect the North Shore Drive site. Alternate No. 1 consists of a composite sheet pile wall/riprap cover system, which would involve installing steel sheet pile at the toe of the existing slope or a short distance into the existing riverbed. The area up-slope of the sheet pile would then be backfilled with earthen material and riprapped. Alternate No. 2 consists of grading and flattening the eexist;ng slope, filling as necessary, and nrn,i i M i nn a rnnt; nein—; nr.aY,l anYn+- -r .1,e IP: 1 1 .,.E - -1 - r A biologist from our Northern Indiana Suboffice visited the proposed project site o: February 9, 2000. in some areas, the trees have already been removed from --'- through erosion and concrete rubble has been dumped in a haphazard manner to try to B - 4