OMAHA, Neb. – A draft environmental assessment for a proposal to improve an existing concrete weir structure located within the city of Sioux Falls near the Big Sioux River levee is currently available for public review. The draft EA evaluates the environmental impacts of modifying the shape of the weir to include widening the base to allow for improved flow through the existing oxbow wetland, improve interior drainage, and reduce flooding of nearby buildings.
The proposed project, located near 50th Street and Elmwood Avenue, would include modifying the shape of the existing weir to create a wider base which would improve water flow and remove existing concrete wing walls. Weir modifications are anticipated to take less than a day.
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: Aaron Quinn, Sioux Falls 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 Aug. 9, 2019.
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. 19-091