Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, in conjunction with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, has applied for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Dady Slough Flood Storage and Wetland Enhancement Project. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management), Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), and FEMA’s implementing regulations at Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 9, FEMA hereby provides interested parties with a notice of its intent to carry out an action affecting a floodplain and wetland.
Flooding of residential and secondary roads within Park City occurs at a high frequency. The recurrent inundation by floodwaters in this area causes repetitive flood damage in the region. The purpose of this project is to reduce flood risk in the vicinity of the project area. The proposed action would include grading to create an additional 60 acre-feet of flood storage, planting, and restoration of wetlands, removal of the artificial impoundment that keeps water levels in the wetland complex artificially high, expansion of the overland grass channel connecting the Dady Slough outlet to the inlet of the downstream storm sewer, and construction of trails, boardwalks, and overlooks.
The project area is in the regulatory floodway as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Number 17097C0157K, effective date September 18, 2003. The FIRM also shows that a portion of the project area lies within Special Flood Hazard Area Zone AE, an area that has a 1-percent probability of flooding every year and where predicted floodwater elevations have been established. In addition, the project is located in areas identified as palustrine and lacustrine limnetic wetlands by the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) Map. Implementation of the project is expected to decrease flood heights within the Dady Slough complex and reduce flood risk upstream. The project design also indicates that there will be no permanent wetland loss but instead, approximately 28 acres of wetlands would be restored with native vegetation. A map of the area and additional information regarding the project is available upon request.
The public is invited to participate in the process of identifying alternatives and analyzing their impacts through this notification. Comments should be sent within 15 days to [email protected] or by mail to:
Duane Castaldi, Regional Environmental Officer
FEMA Region 5
536 South Clark Street, 6th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60605