Purpose

The study addresses erosion issues along the Minnesota River adjacent to Upper Sioux Community tribal lands and make recommendations related to those issues.

Location

The Upper Sioux Community is located south of the Minnesota River in Yellow Medicine County, approximately four miles south of the city of Granite Falls, Minnesota.

Description

On Jan. 9, 2019, the Upper Sioux Community requested assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for riverbank stabilization on the Minnesota River under the Tribal Partnership Program. The Corps and the Upper Sioux Community signed a feasibility cost-share agreement on Jan. 28, 2020. The study began in April 2020. The study includes gathering information; formulating alternatives; analyzing costs, benefits, and environmental impacts; and recommending a tentative plan on how to address the erosion challenges.

Status

The final feasibility study was submitted and approved by MVD Aug. 9, 2023. The execution of an agreement with the Upper Sioux Community as the non-federal sponsor, and subsequent initiation of the design phase is anticipated to occur in fiscal year 2024.

Authority

The Tribal Partnership Program (TPP) is authorized by Section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (Public Law 106‒541). The TPP provides authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with Indian nations to study and determine the feasibility of carrying out projects that will substantially benefit Indian nations.

Funding

Tribal Partnership program feasibility studies qualify for a waiver ($484,000) in which the first costs of the study are federally funded, and the remaining amount is cost-shared between the federal government and the sponsor. The tribal share is based on an ability to pay formula.

Feasibility Study                                            $614,000

The design and construction phases are cost shared between the federal and tribal governments, with an additional waiver (currently $665,000) applied to the tribal share. The remaining tribal share is based on an ability to pay formula. Both the waived amounts and the ability to pay formulas are periodically updated.

Design and Construction                             $5,349,000