[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR385.28]

[Page 640-642]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
 CHAPTER II--CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF 
                                 DEFENSE
 
PART 385_PROGRAMMATIC REGULATIONS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION 
 
                 Subpart C_CERP Implementation Processes
 
Sec.  385.28  Operating Manuals.

    (a) General provisions. (1) The Corps of Engineers and the non-
Federal sponsor shall, in consultation with the Department of the 
Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
Commerce, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians 
of Florida, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and 
other Federal, State, and local agencies, develop Operating Manuals to 
ensure that the goals and purposes of the Plan are achieved.
    (2) Operating Manuals shall consist of a System Operating Manual and 
Project Operating Manuals. In general, the System Operating Manual 
provides a system-wide operating plan for the operation of the projects 
of the Plan and other C&SF Project features and the Project Operating 
Manuals provide the details necessary for integrating the operation of 
the individual projects with the system operation described in the 
System Operating Manual.
    (3) In accordance with Sec.  385.18, the public shall have the 
opportunity to review and comment on draft Operating Manuals.
    (4) The Division Engineer and the non-Federal sponsor shall approve 
completed Operating Manuals.
    (5) The Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management 
District shall develop a guidance memorandum in accordance with Sec.  
385.5 for approval by the Secretary of the Army, with the concurrence of 
the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor, that describes the 
content of Operating Manuals and the tasks necessary to develop 
Operating Manuals.
    (6) Operating Manuals shall:
    (i) Be consistent with the goals and purposes of the Plan;
    (ii) Comply with NEPA, in accordance with Sec.  385.14.
    (iii) Describe regulation schedules, water control, and operating 
criteria for a project, group of projects, or the entire system;
    (iv) Make provisions for the natural fluctuation of water made 
available in any given year and fluctuations necessary for the natural 
system as described in the Plan;
    (v) Be consistent with applicable water quality standards and 
applicable water quality permitting requirements;
    (vi) Be consistent with the reservation or allocation of water for 
the natural system and the savings clause provisions described in the 
Project Implementation Report and the Project Cooperation Agreement and 
the provisions of Sec.  385.35(b), Sec.  385.36, and Sec.  385.37 and 
reflect the operational criteria used in the identification of the 
appropriate quantity, timing, and distribution of water dedicated and 
managed for the natural system;

[[Page 641]]

    (vii) Include a drought contingency plan as required by Sec.  
222.5(i)(5) of this chapter and Engineer Regulation ER 1110-2-1941 
``Drought Contingency Plans'' that is consistent with the Water Rights 
Compact Among the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the State of Florida, and 
the South Florida Water Management District and Florida Administrative 
Code Section 40E-21 (Water Shortage Plan) and Florida Administrative 
Code Section 40E-22 (Regional Water Shortage Plan); and
    (viii) Include provisions authorizing temporary short-term 
deviations from the Operating Manual for emergencies and unplanned 
circumstances, as described in applicable Corps of Engineers 
regulations, including Sec.  222.5(f)(4) and Sec.  222.5(i)(5) of this 
chapter, and Engineer Regulation ER 1110-2-8156 ``Preparation of Water 
Control Manuals.'' However, deviations shall be minimized by including 
planning for flooding events caused by rainfall and hurricane events, as 
well as by including a drought contingency plan.
    (A) Emergency deviations. Examples of some emergencies that can be 
expected to occur at a project are: drowning and other accidents, 
failure of the operation facilities, chemical spills, treatment plant 
failures and other temporary pollution problems. Water control actions 
necessary to abate the problem are taken immediately unless such action 
would create equal or worse conditions.
    (B) Unplanned circumstances. There are unplanned circumstances that 
create a temporary need for minor deviations from the Operating Manual, 
although they are not considered emergencies. Deviations are sometimes 
necessary to carry out maintenance and inspection of facilities. 
Requests for deviations for unplanned circumstances generally involve 
time periods ranging from a few hours to a few days. Approval of these 
changes shall be obtained from the Division Engineer.
    (7) Except as provided in this part, operating manuals generally 
shall follow the procedures for water control plans in Sec.  222.5 of 
this chapter and applicable Corps of Engineers regulations for 
preparation of water control manuals and regulation schedules, including 
Engineer Regulation ER 1110-2-8156.
    (b) System Operating Manual. (1) Not later than December 31, 2005, 
the Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District 
shall, in consultation with the Department of the Interior, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Commerce, the 
Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, 
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and other Federal, 
State, and local agencies, develop a System Operating Manual that 
provides a system-wide operating plan for the operation of implemented 
projects of the Plan and other Central and Southern Florida Project 
features to ensure that the goals and purposes of the Plan are achieved.
    (2) The System Operating Manual shall initially be based on the 
existing completed Central and Southern Florida Project features and 
shall be developed by the Corps of Engineers as provided in Sec.  
222.5(g) of this chapter and by the South Florida Water Management 
District as its laws and regulations require. Existing water control 
plans, regulation schedules, and Master Water Control Plans for the 
Central and Southern Florida Project shall remain in effect until 
approval of the System Operating Manual.
    (3) The System Operating Manual shall be revised whenever the Corps 
of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, in 
consultation with the Department of the Interior, the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Department of Commerce, the Seminole Tribe of 
Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Florida 
Department of Environmental Protection, and other Federal, State, and 
local agencies, believe it is necessary to ensure that the goals and 
purposes of the Plan are achieved.
    (4) Except as provided in this part, the System Operating Manual 
shall follow the procedures for preparation of water control manuals, 
regulation schedules and Master Water Control Manuals in Sec.  222.5 of 
this chapter and applicable Corps of Engineers regulations.

[[Page 642]]

    (5) The Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management 
District shall provide notice and opportunity for public comment for any 
significant modification to the System Operating Manual.
    (c) Project Operating Manuals. (1) The Corps of Engineers and the 
non-Federal sponsor shall, in consultation with the Department of the 
Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
Commerce, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians 
of Florida, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and 
other Federal, State, and local agencies, develop a Project Operating 
Manual for each project of the Plan that is implemented.
    (2) Project Operating Manuals shall be considered supplements to the 
System Operating Manual, and present aspects of the projects not common 
to the system as a whole.
    (3) Each Project Implementation Report shall, as appropriate, 
include a draft Project Operating Manual as an appendix to the Project 
Implementation Report.
    (4) As appropriate, the draft Project Operating Manual shall be 
revised for the project construction phase and the operational 
monitoring and testing phase after completion of project construction.
    (5) The final Project Operating Manual shall be completed as soon as 
practicable after completion of the operational testing and monitoring 
phase of the project. The completed project shall continue to be 
operated in accordance with the approved draft Project Operating Manual 
until the final Project Operating Manual is approved.
    (6) The Corps of Engineers and the non-Federal sponsor shall provide 
notice and opportunity for public comment for any significant 
modification to the Project Operating Manual.