OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, is seeking comments on a draft environmental assessment for a proposal to repair several Salt Creek Dams in and around Lincoln, Nebraska. Comments on the draft EA will be accepted until May 23, 2020.
The proposed project would include repairing damaged plunge pools and outlet channels caused by the 2019 flood event at the following six Salt Creek Dam sites: Bluestem (Dam Site 4 located two miles west of Sprague); Wagon Train (Dam Site 8 located two miles east of Hickman), Stage Coach (Dam Site 9 located one mile south of Hickman), Yankee Hill (Dam Site 10 located 3.5 miles southeast of Denton), Conestoga (Dam Site 12 located two miles north of Denton), and Twin Lakes (Dam Site 13 located two miles northwest of Pleasant Dale).
Repairs would include grading and reshaping sloughed banks, placing riprap and bedding material around the plunge pool perimeter, and seeding with removal of accumulated sediment/debris, as needed, to ensure adequate channel capacity.
The project will not change the operation of the dams for water control or flood risk management. The construction period will be restricted to September 1st through March 1st to reduce the likelihood of pools higher than the conservation pool coinciding with the construction period. Prior to commencement of construction at each site, the reservoirs will be drawn down approximately 6 to 12 inches, and it is anticipated that the construction at each dam site will be last approximately 2 -3 weeks.
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: Michelle McPherron/Salt Creek Dams 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 May 23, 2020.
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.