OMAHA, Neb. – A draft supplemental environmental assessment for repairs to the Council Bend chute in Pottawattamie County, Iowa is currently available for public review. The draft supplemental EA evaluates the environmental impacts of repairing a chute scour hole that formed along the southern bank during the 2011 Missouri River flood. The purpose and scope of this supplemental EA are limited to evaluating the potential environmental effects of the proposed operation and maintenance chute repair actions.
The unprecedented flood of 2011 caused scouring along the Council Bend chute. Repairs would include placing a rock revetment across the length of the scour hole and backfilling the scour hole with rock and soil. The proposed action is needed to stop the scour hole from expanding south any further and to avoid any potential for levee damage, landward seepage issues, or private property impacts. Because the chute needs to be compatible with all Missouri River authorized purposes, the scour damaged area must be stabilized to mitigate any associated risks of scour expansion.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft supplemental environmental assessment, which is available for viewing at: http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Planning/EnvironmentalPlanning/DraftDocuments.aspx. Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PM-AC; ATTN: Dave Crane, Council Bend SEA; 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 August 15, 2014.
This draft supplemental 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. 20140728-002