Public Notice:
Comment Period: March 21, 2023 – April 20, 2023
SUBJECT: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, (Corps) is evaluating a permit
application for the discharge dredged material in approximately 35 acres of waters of the United
States to dredge the Sanders Harbor and extend the access channel. This notice is to inform
interested parties of the proposed activity and to solicit comments.
AUTHORITY: This application is being evaluated under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for the
discharge of dredged material in waters of the United States.
APPLICANT: Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative, Inc., Attn: Mr. Timothy Hawkes, 1750 West 2450
South, Ogden, UT, 84401.
LOCATION: The approximately 40.5-acre project site is located on the north end of Stansbury Island,
Latitude 40.93408°, Longitude -112.50578°, Tooele County, Utah, and can be seen on the Plug Peak NW
USGS Topographic Quadrangle.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The applicant is proposing to dredge the existing Sanders Harbor, and dredge
and extend the access channel. The activity that would require authorization from this office is
the hydraulic placement of dredged material on the south end of the proposed 5,000 foot by 40 foot
access channel. Hydraulic placement would be within a 300 foot wide section of lakebed directly
adjacent to the south of the access channel to a maximum depth of 1 foot. The 5,000 linear foot
access channel and harbor would be dredged annually to a depth of approximately 5 feet. This is the
needed depth for the brine shrimping boats to utilize the facilities. The proposed project would
not require additional water supply from the Great Salt Lake (GSL). Based on the available
information, the overall project purpose is to maintain vessel access from Sanders Harbor. The
applicant believes there is a need to dredge the access channel and harbor to access to the GSL.
The attached drawings provide additional project details.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Environmental Setting. The entire project is located below the 4,200 foot Ordinary High-Water Mark
of the GSL. The Sanders Harbor is a critical access point for Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp
Cooperative on the southern side of the GSL. The harbor and a portion of the access channel have
been previously disturbed from construction and dredging. The proposed hydraulic displacement area
of 35 acres is comprised of open water and sand/silt lakebed. The project area is located near
bioherms, but the applicant has stated these areas would be avoided.
Alternatives. The applicant has provided information concerning project alternatives.
Additional information concerning project alternatives may be available from the applicant or their
agent. Other alternatives may develop during the review process for this permit application. All
reasonable project alternatives, in particular those which may be less damaging to the aquatic
environment, will be considered.
Mitigation. The Corps requires that applicants consider and use all reasonable and practical
measures to avoid and minimize impacts to aquatic resources. If the applicant is unable to avoid or
minimize all impacts, the Corps may require compensatory mitigation. The applicant has not proposed
compensatory mitigation since the dredging would not result in a loss of waters.
OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORIZATIONS: Water quality certification or a waiver, as required under
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, is required
for this project. The applicant will apply for certification in March 2023.
HISTORIC PROPERTIES: The Corps will initiate consultation with the State Historic Preservation
Officer under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as appropriate.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: The project would not affect any Federally listed threatened or endangered
species or their critical habitat that are protected by the Endangered Species Act.
The above determinations are based on information provided by the applicant and our preliminary
review.
EVALUATION FACTORS: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the
probable impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the described activity on the public interest.
That decision will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important
resources. The benefit, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the described activity,
must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant
to the described activity will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those
are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic
properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation,
shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy
needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, consideration of property ownership and,
in general, the needs and welfare of the people. The activity's impact on the public interest will
include application of the Section 404(b)(1) guidelines promulgated by the Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 230).
The Corps is soliciting comments from the public, Federal, State, and local agencies and officials,
Indian tribes, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this
proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to
issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are
used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general
environmental effects, and other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the
preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public
hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
SUBMITTING COMMENTS: Written comments, referencing Public Notice SPK-2023-00031 must be submitted
to the office listed below on or before April 20, 2023
Hollis Jencks, Project Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District 533 West 2600 South, Suite 150
Bountiful, Utah 84010
Email: Hollis.G.Jencks@usace.army.mil
The Corps is particularly interested in receiving comments related to the proposal's probable
impacts on the affected aquatic environment and the secondary and cumulative effects. Anyone may
request, in writing, that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests shall
specifically state, with particularity, the reason(s) for holding a public hearing. If the Corps
determines that the information received in response to this notice is inadequate for thorough
evaluation, a public hearing may be warranted. If a public hearing is warranted, interested parties
will be notified of the time, date, and location.
Please note that all comment letters received are subject to release to the public through the
Freedom of Information Act. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact
the applicant or the Corps' project manager Hollis Jencks, (801) 295-8380 ext. 8318,
Hollis.G.Jencks@usace.army.mil.
Attachments: 5 drawings