OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, has initiated three new Continuing Authorities Program pilot projects to support communities in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado.
These efforts are part of a national pilot program, announced last month by the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, that will support and partner with 12 rural or economically disadvantaged communities across the United States.
The pilot program leverages USACE’s existing CAP authorities to carry out small civil works projects with full federal funding, eliminating the cost-sharing requirement for the local sponsor. These projects address critical water resource challenges such as ecosystem restoration and flood risk management.
By addressing these unmet needs in these areas, the Omaha District continues to foster collaboration with tribal nations and improve local resilience against tough environmental challenges in the region.
The Omaha District will collaborate with project sponsors and local communities to advance these initiatives through the entire planning, design and construction phases.
“We’re especially excited for the pilot program because it gives us a chance to engage communities that we wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to partner with,” said Drew Minert, Omaha District Planning Branch chief. “The possibility to affect real and lasting change in these areas is thrilling.”
These projects were based on proposals submitted by the communities requesting assistance under the CAP pilot program. The three pilot projects selected in the Omaha District’s area of responsibility will serve:
- Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, South Dakota: To reduce the risk of erosion affecting cultural use of the area, restore riverine habitat and reduce overland pollution flows from agricultural lands.
- Omaha Tribe, Nebraska: To reduce the flood risk to local water wells.
- City of Boulder (Open Space and Mountain Parks), Colorado: To restore floodplains and wetlands on a publicly owned site near an area that is historically and culturally significant to the Arapaho and Cheyenne Nations.
“As part of our outreach in letting communities know of the potential opportunity under this CAP pilot program, we gained a better understanding of myriad and vast environmental challenges plaguing the region,” Minert added. “These three projects offer the opportunity to make small, but meaningful and lasting change and hopefully opens the door for more opportunities with other communities in the future.”
These projects aim to enhance economic resilience, protect critical infrastructure and promote environmental sustainability while supporting local economies by utilizing local workforces and community collaboration.
The pilot program was authorized under Section 165(a) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 and is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as part of a national effort to enhance federal investments in underserved areas.
For more information on the CAP initiatives at the Omaha District, visit:
https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Authorities/Continuing-Authorities/