The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released a draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment Oct. 4, 2019 for proposed alterations to the existing levee system, as well as constructing new flood risk reduction features in Burlington, North Dakota.
There has been a history of flooding along the Souris River (also referred to as the Mouse River) in north-central North Dakota. In 2011, the flood of record occurred in the Souris River Basin, causing more than
$1 billion in damages to homes, businesses, public facilities and infrastructure along the entire length of the Souris River.
The Souris River Joint Water Resource Board is pursuing a plan to reduce future flood risks throughout the U.S. portions of the Souris River Basin by constructing a series of new levees, floodwalls and other flood risk reduction features. This plan has become known locally as the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project. The Corps of Engineers completed a final programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Mouse River plan in July 2017 and issued its Record of Decision on the project Dec.19, 2017. Much of the information presented in the programmatic EIS is incorporated by reference in the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment, while still addressing site-specific impacts resulting from the Burlington phase of the project.
The draft SEA that describes the project and the environmental impacts in detail is available to the public and can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul District website at: www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.
The comment period ends Nov. 4, 2019.
Questions on the project or comments on the SEA can be directed to Eric Hanson, project biologist, at 651-290-5595 or Eric.R.Hanson@usace.army.mil. Please address all formal written correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 5th St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, MN 55101.
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Release no. 19-071