Project Proponent. St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101.
Project Authority. Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948 provides the project authorization for this flood risk management project.
Project Location. The proposed actions would be located in Arcadia, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
Summary of the Proposed Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), St. Paul District is currently designing a flood risk management project in the City of Arcadia, Wisconsin. An Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment (IFR/EA) and Section 404(b)(1) evaluation for the project were completed in 2020. Detailed engineering and design studies conducted since the completion of the IFR/EA have resulted in several proposed modifications to the project. With the proposed modifications, the plan would consist of the following:
• Borrow, stockpile, and disposal areas
• Tie-back levee upstream of the Oak Street bridge
• Widening and rerouting of Turton Creek
• Replacement of the Oak Street bridge with a new span bridge
• Oak Street road raise
• Temporary access road with turnarounds
• Turton Creek habitat improvements
• Two cross vanes upstream of the Oak Street bridge
• Seepage mitigation in the form of a trench drain
The proposed modifications would result in 1.7 acres of fill and 4.8 acres of excavation within Reach 1 of Turton Creek. The features of the Proposed Alternative are shown on Figure 1 and each feature’s footprint is provided in Table 1. No additional wetland impacts are proposed as part of the Proposed Alternative.
Construction Schedule. Construction of the proposed actions is scheduled to be carried out beginning in 2024.
Permits/Coordination.
a. General. The proposed action has been coordinated with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
b. State. The filling for the proposed project is subject to regulation by the State of Wisconsin in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. A request for Water Quality Certification will be made to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
c. Federal. A Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact was prepared and coordinated in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. A Section 404(b)(1) evaluation was prepared in accordance with the Clean Water Act of 1977.
Summary of Environmental Impacts. The updated project would have temporary minor adverse effects on noise levels, aesthetics, air quality, water quality and transportation and long-term adverse impacts to wetlands. The project would have long-term beneficial effects on public health and safety, businesses and homes, and transportation. There would also be a minor beneficial effect on aquatic habitat.
Report. A Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment that describes the project and the environmental impacts in detail is available to the public and can be viewed at https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/Public-Notices/.
Public Hearing Requests. The Section 404(b)(1) evaluation is being distributed as part of this environmental assessment. Anyone may request a public hearing on this project. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within 15 working days of the date of this Public Notice. Interested parties are also invited to submit to this office written facts, arguments, or objections to this project prior to the expiration date of this Public Notice. These statements should clearly state the interest the project would affect and how the project would affect that interest. A request for public hearing may be denied if substantive reasons for holding a hearing are not provided or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served. All statements will become an official part of the project file and will be available for public examination.
Review and Comment. If you have any comments on the environmental assessment they should be provided before the expiration date of this notice. Persons submitting comments are advised that all comments received will be available for public review, to include the possibility of posting on a public website. Questions on the project or comments on the Environmental Assessment can be directed to Clay Tallman at 651-290-5030 or at clayton.e.tallman@usace.army.mil. Please address all formal written correspondence on this project to District Engineer, St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Project Management, 332 Minnesota St., Suite E1500, St. Paul, MN 55101.