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The Grand River Ecosystem Restoration Chief’s Report was approved by Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon on 18 November 2020. The report was then transmitted to Congress where it was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 within the Consolidated Appropriations Bill of 2021. The feasibility study phase of this project is now complete and the project may move into the Design phase, pending funding.

Sponsorship

The Feasibility Study portion is cost-shared 50/50 federal and non-federal, and is anticipated to take three years. The non-federal sponsors for this initial step are the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Conservation. The Missouri Department of Transportation is a contributing partner.

If design and construction are authorized and funded by congress, the state or local partner cost-share will be 35%.

Contact Us

For questions or comments regarding the Grand River Basin study, please email us at GrandRiver@usace.army.mil.

Grand River Basin Project Information

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 Introduction

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a feasibility study of the Lower Grand River area.

 

  •   The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Transportation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Green Hills Regional Planning Commission are project partners.
  •  The project will address recognized problems in the area including flooding, sedimentation, bank erosion, log jams, and loss of important aquatic habitats.
  • ·Wetland communities at Pershing State Park, Fountain Grove Conservation Area, and surrounding private lands have also been impacted by issues in the project area.
  • The outcome of the feasibility study will include an approved project recommendation report with a recommended plan for construction, along with associated design and permitting documentation.
  • Benefits to addressing these issues include stabilizing eroding banks, reducing loss of agricultural land, protecting infrastructure such as bridges and roads, and restoring wetland habitats.
  • Potential projects on private property, drainage or levee districts would be included only with voluntary participation.
  • After report approval by the Chief of Engineers, authority for project construction and funding for implementation can be requested from Congress. Project construction is cost shared 65% by the Corps of Engineers and 35% by the state and local partners.

 

 Documents/Reports
 Public Involvement

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Conservation in partnership with other federal and state agencies studied known problems in the Lower Grand River Watershed in north central Missouri. Problems included channel instability, stream bank erosion, sedimentation, logjams and stream capture. These problems alter water flowing in streams, impair public infrastructure, affect landowners and degrade aquatic and wetland habitats. This study will provide crucial guidance toward evaluating and selecting viable options, as well as in securing authorization and adequate funding for recommended construction projects.

USACE and partners held public scoping meetings to seek public and agency input into the scope of the study. The meetings were advertised through a USACE press release, notices in area newspapers, and via USACE, MoDNR, and MDC social media. Three open-house scoping meetings were held on September 12, 13 and 14, 2017 from 5:00-7:00pm, at:

  • September 12, 2017: Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site, Memorial Museum and Leadership Archive Building, 900 Ausmus Street, Laclede, MO 64651
  • September 13, 2017: Keytesville Community Center, 301 West Bridge Street, Keytesville, MO 65261
  • September 14, 2017: Milan Community Center, 205 North Market Street, Milan, MO 63556

A thirty day comment period closed on October 14, 2017. USACE received 16 comment letters/emails. A total of 49 individuals signed in as attending the three public scoping meetings. The general topics expressed through the comments received included the following:

  • General statements of support for the study
  • Concerns about the impacts of log jams and flooding to agricultural lands
  • Concerns about the impacts to bridges from streambank erosion
  • Concerns about habitat degradation
  • Suggestion to keep the bulk of flows in Higgins Ditch
  • Suggestion to pursue a perpetual permit with USACE for log jam removal
  • Suggestion to include a bank stabilization program in the Locust Creek, East Locust Creek, and West Locust Creek sub-watersheds as part of the plan
  • Suggestion to include a voluntary flow easement or levee breach program in the Locust Creek, East Locust Creek, and West Locust Creek sub-watersheds as part of the plan
  • Statement that the solution to the identified problems could be mutually beneficial to the ecosystem and agriculture
  • Suggestion to make use of existing programs and BMPs available to landowners

In October 2019 the draft feasibility report which identified the study team’s tentatively selected plan, which includes a suite of measures proposed for construction within the watershed was provided for public comment. Availability of the draft report was announced in a USACE press release and through USACE, MoDNR, and MDC social media. Public comments on the plan were accepted through Nov. 20, 2019. And a series of three public meetings were held from 5-7pm at the following locations:

  • October 15, 2019: Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site, Memorial Museum and Leadership Archive Building, 900 Ausmus St. Laclede, MO 64651
  • October 16, 2019: Keytesville Community Center, 301 West Bridge St. Keytesville, MO 65261
  • October 17, 2019: Milan Community Center, 205 North Market St. Milan, MO 63556

 

All comments received and USACE responses to substantive comments are included in Appendix H.

 

Public Notice

Draft FONSI

Draft 404 (B) (1)

Draft Environmental Assessment

Questions can be sent via email to GrandRiver@usace.army.mil.

 

 Project Map