The purpose of the proposed action is to remove BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) Bridge 2001-518.9 from the Big Sioux River due to a significant storm event that caused the structure, managed by the USACE Omaha District, to be damaged and dislodged from the pier in the center of the river. The proposed project is located within Sioux City, Iowa and North Sioux City, South Dakota. 

BNSF proposes to construct temporary access for bridge removal activities through the North Sioux City Right Bank Levee on the west side; and separately construct temporary access on the east side. BNSF proposes to maintain levee continuity during levee excavation, by constructing a ring levee in a manner to preserve flood protection for North Sioux City should a moderate or major flood event occur on the Big Sioux River during levee excavation operations and access to the river for cleanup and removal of the storm damaged structure within the river. Upon completion of the ring levee the access path and causeway will be constructed in the Big Sioux River. 

USACE Omaha District has determined that the BNSF Bridge 2001-518.9 Removal and Temporary Access would entail an alteration to the Federal Project, and therefore requires permission under Section 408. A Section 404 Clean Water Act permit application for the proposed project is being reviewed concurrently by USACE South Dakota Regulatory (reference # NWO-2024-01084-PIE). BNSF’s plans for the new bridge replacement / construction will be submitted to USACE and the local levee Sponsors in a future separate Section 408 request and Section 404 application. Only project elements that would alter the Federal Project are within the review scope for the Section 408 permission request.  

USACE will accept comments on this Public Notice and make them part of the evaluation record, and they will be considered in USACE’s determination whether the proposed alteration would be injurious to the public interest and would impair the usefulness of the Federal Project, as well as assessing the impacts of the proposal on the quality of the human environment. 

Comments pertaining to this public notice must be submitted via email or conventional mail on or before August 5th, 2024 and must include the 408-NWO-2024-0057 Reference Number above. All comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act, including personally identifiable information such as names, phone numbers, and addresses.

Read full public notice here: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll15/id/6237

All email comments should be sent to: section408nwo@usace.army.mil.

Conventional mail comments should be sent to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Omaha District

Planning Branch, CENWO-PMA-A

ATTN: Section 408 Coordinator

1616 Capitol Avenue

Omaha, NE  68102