OMAHA, Neb. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, Fort Randall Project’s newly revised Master Plan was recently approved by Col. Joel R. Cross, District Commander.
The master plan provides guidance for the management and development of natural and manmade resources at the Fort Randall Dam/Lake Francis Case project including public use, environmentally sensitive areas and cultural resources within the project’s boundaries.
The new master plan replaces the 1977 edition and reflects significant changes that have occurred at the Fort Randall Project since the original master plan was developed. Significant changes include land ownership and management responsibilities, project use conditions, pertinent laws and policies, and visitor use and public demand.
Extensive coordination with various state and federal agencies, Tribes, and state historical societies occurred during the preparation of the master plan. The general public was also provided several opportunities to provide input during initial scoping efforts and at several points during the plan’s drafting. The final round of four public meetings took place the week of August 4, 2014 and the comment period closed on Aug. 22, 2014.
The Fort Randall Dam/Lake Francis Case master plan is available for download from the HQ USACE Digital Library.
BACKGROUND: The Fort Randall Dam/Lake Francis Case Project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan, for the purposes of flood control, navigation, hydropower, fish and wildlife, recreation, irrigation, municipal and industrial water supply and water quality. Fort Randall is the fifth dam in a series of six Missouri River main stem dams, extending from Fort Peck Dam in northeastern Mont. to Gavins Point near Yankton, SD. Fort Randall project lands include parts of Charles Mix, Brule, Buffalo, Lyman and Gregory Counties in SD.
Lake Francis Case extends roughly 107 miles up the Missouri River valley from Pickstown to just downstream of Big Bend Dam in south-central SD and has over 540 miles of shoreline covering approximately 102,000 acres. Lake Francis Case provides many recreational opportunities to area residents as well as out-of-state travelers. Activities include picnicking, camping, hunting, trapping, nature walking, wildlife photography, touring the dam and related facilities and visiting historic and interpretive sites.