Summary: On Corps-managed land, the proposed pipeline would be buried in a four-foot deep trench below the bed of Lake Sakakawea. Installation of the pipeline at the lake crossing would include stringing, welding and testing the pipeline for leaks in the uplands prior to placing the pipeline across the lake and then laid in a trench within the lakebed. BakkenLink is proposing to use jet trenching, a technique accomplished with a custom-made sled pulled over the lake bed with a cable, to dig the trench and install the pipeline in a single operation. After the pipe is laid, the lake bed sediment will be returned to the trench as much as possible.
Geographic Scope: Lake Sakakawea, Garrison Project, North Dakota
Decision/Date: Finding of No Significant Impact/April 13, 2016