The City of Homer Harbor Expansion
The City of Homer is in the process of analyzing several different alternatives of expanding the Homer Harbor and assessing the environmental impacts of doing so. As part of the Homer Harbor Expansion the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) established the Ecosystem Working Group (ESWG) to discuss the environmental impacts and analysis of the expansion Project and which KBWC is a member of.
The predominate focus of the ESWG is to discuss USACE environmental activities and potential monitoring, survey, mitigation etc and the type of project features, activities and operations the Study alternatives are anticipated to include; i.e., harbor infrastructure.
A tentatively selected plan will be decided by the Study project delivery team (USACE, City of Homer, and HDR). The TSP will focus on the content of the Draft Study Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Analysis, which is planned for release in the fall of 2025, when the public and other agencies have an opportunity to review the draft report and provide comment to USACE before the report is finalized.
The ESWG also focuses on the development process for a study ecological model and environmental/cultural fieldwork that were originally conceptualized during a workshop in April 2024. The goal for the ecological model which will eventually be certified, is to incorporate the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s Kelp Model, HDR’s Sediment study and Water Current Circulation Model as inputs. The ecological model
The ESWG also focuses on environmental/cultural fieldwork, focusing on areas within the direct Study footprint including providing input for identifying potential species observer on footage from underwater camera surveys. Fieldwork was.
ESWG members have also discussed providing potential recommendations for environmental studies, monitoring, mitigations, etc, that could be implemented to inform the environmental impacts during the design through post-construction of a construction alternative. The recommendations included: type of recommendation (mitigation, study, survey, monitoring, etc); general timeframe it would be implemented (i.e., during design, post-construction); frequency or timing considerations of implementation (if applicable); the recommendation; and what the recommendation will address/its purpose. These recommendations will be reviewed and considered for the potential and practicality of implementation under Study alternatives.
KBWC will continue to participate in the ESWG to determine when the public will be able to review and comment on the Study Draft Study Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Analysis.
