OMAHA, Neb. – A draft environmental assessment for a surplus water request at Lake Francis Case in South Dakota is currently available for public review. The draft EA evaluates the use of surplus water and the environmental impacts of replacing aging infrastructure to allow an additional 3,358 acre-feet to be used for municipal purposes by the Randall Community Water District (RCWD).
The proposed project would include updating an existing aging water intake structure and associated water and power lines to allow RCWD to withdraw an additional 1,680 acre-feet of surplus water per year, for a total of 5,038 acre-feet, from the Fort Randall Dam/Lake Francis Case Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would issue an easement for an initial five-year term, renewable for an additional five years, to allow RCWD to replace aging infrastructure and increase capacity in order to supply potable water for people and livestock in various communities in South Dakota.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft environmental assessment, which is available for viewing at: www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Reports/. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PMA-C; ATTN: Matthew Vandenberg/Ft Randall Surplus Water EA; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil. Comments must be postmarked or received no later than July 30, 2018.
This draft EA is consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), the Corps’ regulations for implementing NEPA (33 CFR 325 and Engineering Regulation 200-2-2) and other applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Release no. 18-049