Clinch River Watershed
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILDING STRONG®
FACT SHEET
(As of September 2012)
AUTHORIZATION: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Resolution, Sept. 28, 2000.
TYPE OF PROJECT: General Investigations Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study.
LOCATION: Wise and Scott counties in southwestern Virginia.
CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST: Griffith (VA-09), Webb (VA), Warner (VA)
NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR: LENOWISCO Planning District
BACKGROUND:
· LENOWISCO and the Commonwealth of Virginia have signed a Feasibility Cost Share Agreement (FCSA) with the Corps of Engineers to study ecosystem degradation issues within the Guest River Watershed.
· The FCSA was signed in September 2012.
· The Section 905b Preliminary Assessment was approved in September 2004.
· The focus of the study is on ecosystem problems and opportunities in the Guest River Basin.
· Potential ecosystem restoration solutions to be evaluated during the reconnaissance study include a variety of measures to improve aquatic ecosystem functions and values.
IMPORTANCE:
· The Guest River is the second largest tributary to the Clinch River and the key factor in degraded aquatic ecosystems downstream of the confluence of Clinch and Guest Rivers.
· The Clinch River has been identified by The Nature Conservancy as the number one river for biodiversity in a nationwide study reviewing all rivers in the United States.
· The Clinch River sustains 48 imperiled and vulnerable species, including 29 varieties of rare mussels and 19 species of fish.
STATUS: FCSA was signed in September 2012.
BUDGET ($): Estimated project costs are shown below.
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Feasibility Phase
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Total Estimated Cost
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$700,000
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Federal Cost Estimate
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350,000
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Non-Federal Cost Estimate
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350,000
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Federal Funds Data
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Allocation thru FY 2011
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$126,182
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Allocation for FY 2012
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0
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Balance to Complete
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223,818
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President’s Budget for FY 2013
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0
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SCHEDULE:
FY 2011 Completed Work:
FY 2012 Scheduled Work: Feasibility Scoping and FCSA complete.
FY 2013 Scheduled Work: Begin Feasibility Study.
Completion: Feasibility Study is currently scheduled for 1Q FY15 Completion.
For more information regarding Clinch – Guest River – Ecosystem Restoration, contact Tom Herbert, CELRN-PM-P, phone: (615) 736-7194, email: thomas.herbert@usace.army.mil.