{LD cr] US Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District Mississippi River Commission REELFOOT LAKE TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY VOLUME 1 FINAL FEASIBILITY REPORT & FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SEPTEMBER 1999aNEXECUTIVE SUMMARY Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee and Kentucky Feasibility Report The purpose of this report is to present the findings of a Feasibility Study of water and related land resources problems in the Reelfoot Lake area. The Feasibility Study was initiated in January 1995 following certification of the Reconnaissance Report in December 1994. The Reconnaissance Report stated that Federal interest existed and that feasible alternatives could be developed to address the planning objectives for the study. The Feasibility Study consisted of a detailed analysis of various altemative plans to select the most beneficial and cost effective solution to the various problems identified in the area. The study area is located east of the Mississippi River about 120 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee and 6 miles east of Tiptonville, Tennessee, in Lake and Obion Counties, Tennessee and Fulton County, Kentucky. Reelfoot Lake, formed by the earthquakes of 1811-1812, covers approximately 15,500 acres at a pool elevation of 282.2 NGVD in Tennessee and Kentucky. Reelfoot Lake is a nationally significant and unique natural resource. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in Tennessee and one of the largest in the country. The lake provides nesting and feeding habitat for the Bald Eagle, a threatened species, while providing one of the most highly productive fisheries in the area, Also, Reelfoot Lake is located within the Mississippi Flyway and is widely used by waterfowl. The North American ‘Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), an international treaty between the US., Canada, and Mexico, has identified the Lower Mississippi River Delta as a “priority habitat range.” Reelfoot Lake was also identified as a “key area” for waterfowl in the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, which is under the auspices of the NAWMP. Flood control and drainage improvements in the basin have dramatically impacted the quality of fish and wildlife habitat. Construction of the Mississippi River levees in the 1930s stopped the almost annual recharge of the lake by overflow from the Mississippi River. Construction of a spillway and Running Reelfoot Bayou stabilized water level fluctuations of Reelfoot Lake and provided drainage for surrounding areas. ‘The resulting land clearing and conversion to agriculture practices on lands surrounding the lake contributed to an unusually high rate of sediment deposition in the lake, which is reducing the value of the lake’s aquatic habitat and the lake's value as a flood attenuation system. The Feasibility Study examined the potential benefits and costs of various features designed to restore and protect the environment (both terrestrial and aquatic) in the Reelfoot Lake area. The selected features, which exhibit the highest levels of environmental benefits, were combined into a recommended plan. The recommended plan includes construction of an alternative spillway, bridge, inlet and outlet channels, circulation channels within Reelfoot Lake, a sediment basin on Reelfoot Creek, restoration of Shelby Lake and construction of waterfowl management units, and improvements at Lake [som National Wildlife Refuge. The recommended plan also