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Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

The Kansas City and Omaha Districts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), have developed the Final Missouri River Recovery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. 

  • It is a programmatic assessment of actions necessary to comply with the Endangered Species Act by avoiding a finding of jeopardy to three federally-listed threatened and endangered species associated with the Missouri River: 
    • The pallid sturgeon,
    • The interior least tern, and
    • The Northern Great Plains piping plover. 
  • A comprehensive Science and Adaptive Management Plan has also been developed to guide implementation of management actions for the three listed species. 

Photo collage of the federally listed species found along the Missouri River: the interior least tern, the pallid sturgeon, and the piping plover

The Interior Least Tern (left), Pallid Sturgeon (top right), and Piping Plover (bottom right):
Federally-Listed Species Found along the Missouri River

The Final Missouri River Recovery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (MRRMP-EIS) accomplishes the following: 

  • Uses the best available science to develop alternatives and evaluate the effects of those alternatives on environmental resources and the human uses of the river;
  • Identifies a preferred alternative comprised of management actions based on the best available science and designed to avoid a finding of jeopardy for the species and minimize impacts to other resources;
  • Includes an adaptive management plan for the Missouri River Recovery Program to ensure management decisions are continuously improved by the learning that takes place from regular monitoring of the river and assessing the effectiveness of management actions.

Missouri River Recovery Management Plan Milestones

  • The draft MRRMP-EIS was released on December 23, 2016, and included a 122-day public comment period that ended on April 24, 2017.  During that time USACE held six public meetings to solicit comments from the public.  USACE analyzed the comments received from the public and considered them in preparation of the final MRRMP-EIS. 
  • The final MRRMP-EIS was available for public review until November 9, 2018. 
  • The USACE has also completed formal consultation with the USFWS under Section 7 of the ESA.  A final Biological Assessment was completed by the USACE in October 2017 and a Final Biological Opinion was completed by the USFWS in April 2018. 
    • The Biological Opinion concludes that the proposed action described in the Biological Assessment would not cause jeopardy for the least tern, piping plover, or pallid sturgeon.
    • The preferred alternative in the Final EIS incorporates the proposed action described in the 2017 Biological Assessment and incorporates the 2018 Biological Opinion.
  • The Record of Decision for the EIS will be rescheduled to compensate for an extended waiting period.

Related Documents

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 Missouri River Effects Analysis Reports 
 2018 Biological Opinion
 Biological Assessment for the Operation of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System, the Operation and Maintenance of the Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, the Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System, and the Implementation of the Missouri River Recovery Management Plan 
 Scoping Summary Report
 National Park Service Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Determination