[Federal Register: January 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 19)]
[Notices]               
[Page 4641]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29ja99-46]


[[Page 4641]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

 
Intent To Prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Section 33, the ``Missouri River Between Fort Peck 
Dam, Montana, and Gavins Point Dam, South Dakota and Nebraska,'' Bank 
Stabilization Project

AGENCY: Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The dams and reservoirs on the upper Missouri River have 
caused a lowering of the streambed in the open reaches downstream from 
the dams. They have also caused a continuing net loss of high-bank 
lands, the reduction or elimination of the annual cycle of erosion and 
accretion, and a widening of the channel in some locations. The 
``Section 33'' program was created by Congress with the expressed 
purpose of allowing the Corps of Engineers to assist affected 
landowners in alleviating these effects through a variety of measures. 
These measures include maintaining or rehabilitating existing bank 
stabilization structures, constructing new bank stabilization 
structures, purchasing affected property and monetary compensation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and Draft EIS should be directed to Candace M. Thomas, Chief, 
Environmental and Economics Section, Water Resources Branch, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, 215 North 17th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102-4978 
or at 402-221-4575.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is to evaluate the potential 
degree or level of implementation of the alternative measures 
authorized by Congress, and their expected environmental impacts. 
Because the specific components of the Section 33 program are not known 
at this time, and specific sites have not been identified for 
development, this will be a programmatic EIS that identifies the 
general impacts and issues associated with each of the alternatives 
evaluated. The programmatic EIS provides for the coverage of general 
matters in a broader environmental document. Subsequent narrower and 
site-specific environmental analyses will be performed when specific 
projects are determined in the future.
    The Missouri River reaches included in the Section 33 program are 
as follows:
    a. Fort Peck Dam to about twenty miles upstream of Lake Sakakawea 
(RM 1770 to RM 1580).
    b. Garrison Dam to the upper end of Lake Oahe (RM 1390 to RM 1303).
    c. Oahe Dam to about Pierre, South Dakota (RM 1071 to RM 1066).
    d. About five miles downstream from Fort Randall Dam to 
Springfield, South Dakota (RM 875 to RM 832).
    e. Gavins Point Dam to about 20 miles upstream of Sioux City, Iowa 
(RM 810 to RM 752).
    Scoping meetings will be held on February 22, 1999 at the Sherman 
Motor Inn in Wolf Point, Montana at 6:30 p.m.; on February 23, 1999 at 
the Doublewood Inn in Bismarck, North Dakota at 6:30 p.m.; and on 
February 25, 1999 at the Prairie Inn & Convention Center in Vermillion, 
South Dakota at 6:30 p.m. These scoping meetings, as well as agency 
meetings, will be held to solicit input on the issues, studies needed, 
alternatives to be evaluated, and other related matters. Written 
comments will also be requested.
Candace M. Thomas,
Chief, Environmental & Economics Section, Water Resources Branch, 
Engineering Division.
[FR Doc. 99-2185 Filed 1-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-62-M