The Missouri River was a vital natural resource during the settlement of the West and remains so today. But in the early 1900s, the wild pre-settlement waterway – full of changing channels, islands, shallows and backwater sloughs – was tamed as Congress asked the U.S. Corps of Engineers to create a 300-foot-wide navigation channel from Sioux City to St. Louis. New river structures directed the flow into channels, creating slack-water areas and bottomlands. The banks were stabilized, and much of the land along the river was put into agricultural production. The lower Missouri River was transformed into an engineered river of commerce.
U n i q u e F e a t u r e s |
» | Loss of 522,000 acres of fish and wildlife habitat and floodplain |
» | 30-year plan to purchase and restore up to 166,750 acres along the 735-mile chanelized portion of the river |
» | Involvement of numerous stakeholders and public meetings |
With this came the loss of approximately 522,000 acres of fish and wildlife habitat and the natural floodplain ecosystem. Now, recognizing a desire by the public to restore some of our lost natural habitat, Congress again has directed the Corps to effect change on the Missouri River. Over the next 30 plus years, the Corps will purchase and restore up to 166,750 acres of habitat along the 735-mile channelized portion of the river.
To accomplish its mission, the Corps is acquiring land in relatively small parcels and restoring it to a more natural condition. With each new “pearl,” a small portion of the historic natural floodplain ecosystem is recovered. As the string of pearls grows, it becomes a boon to fish and wildlife populations and provides natural areas for generations to come.
Challenges
Of course, a project of this magnitude is not as simple as restoring habitat. It is expected to generate concern among stakeholders. To identify and understand those concerns, HDR prepared a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and assisted the Corps in conducting numerous public meetings in several communities along the Missouri River. Stakeholders were invited to attend and provide feedback on the program.
As it continues acquiring land – all of which comes from willing sellers – the Corps coordinates the purchase with state and federal resource agencies. Then, a site mitigation plan is developed and an agreement signed with the partner resource agency responsible for managing the site. The Corps conducts additional environmental studies, and prepares site-specific National Environmental Policy Act documentation.
A typical mitigation site might involve creating wetlands, native floodplain prairie, shallow-water habitat, wildlife food plots and planting trees to protect levees or restore floodplain forests. The Corps coordinates with adjacent landowners to develop a plan that minimizes impacts to their property.
A Legacy for the Future
Approximately 22 percent of the area included in the Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Program already has been mitigated. Most of the acquired land has minimal fish and wildlife habitat, and just taking it out of agricultural production creates significant terrestrial habitat. Planned habitat development increases habitat quality and quantity and is important for floodplain ecosystem restoration.
SEIS
HDR assisted in the preparation of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Program. The purpose of the Mitigation Program is to restore a portion of the approximately 550,000 acres of fish and wildlife habitat that has been lost due to the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project. The preferred action analyzed in the SEIS includes the acquisition of up to 118,650 acres from willing sellers for mitigation sites and project design, construction, and operation of mitigation sites to restore or enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitat. The original 1986 authorized Mitigation Project, consisting of the development of 48,100 acres for mitigation, will be completed as planned. The environmental review documentation was prepared as a supplement to the original EIS prepared in 1981.
HDR was responsible for conducting all aspects of the project related to completion of the environmental review process. This included developing and facilitating a public scoping process, which included extensive public outreach, preparation of a project video, preparation and publication of legal notices, mailing announcement, press releases, Notice of Intent, Notice of Availability, and handout materials and project display boards. HDR facilitated nine public scoping meetings in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, developed a Scoping Issues Identification Report, and was responsible for maintaining a public involvement database. HDR was also responsible for coordination with federal and state natural resource agencies that are members of the Mitigation Project coordination team, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. HDR also planned 6 public open houses and public hearings that were held as part of the public comment period on the Draft SEIS.
Potential environmental issues identified for consideration in the SEIS included land acquisition impacts, tax revenue, maintenance of channel for navigation, impacts to levee districts, mitigation site maintenance, maintaining flood protection, effects on private lands from modification of existing bank stabilization structures, and law enforcement issues. Beneficial effects of the Mitigation Project included increased habitat for fish and wildlife, increased land available for outdoor recreation, and improved flood protection for the basin. HDR was also responsible for preparation of the Draft and Final SEIS and Record of Decision (ROD). Environmental impact analyses included an extensive socioeconomic and land use impact analysis to determine the impacts of the acquisition of 118,650 acres to agriculture, county tax base, levee and drainage districts, environmental justice issues, and local economies. HDR utilized eRoom for management of client transmittals, communications, QA/QC, and maintaining the administrative record.
The Final SEIS was issued in March 2003 and the ROD was signed in June 2003.