Purpose
The study will assess the problems and opportunities faced by the Lower Sioux Indian Community on their tribal lands and make recommendations related to erosion along the Minnesota River adjacent to and impacting those lands.
Location
The Lower Sioux Indian Community is located south of the Minnesota River in Redwood County, Minnesota approximately 2 miles south of the city of Morton, Minnesota.
Description
On May 8, 2019, the Lower Sioux Indian Community requested the assistance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for riverbank stabilization along the Minnesota River. Federal funding for the study was provided in July 2020. A feasibility cost-share agreement between USACE and the Lower Sioux Indian Community was signed on Sept. 16, 2020.
Status
The tentatively selected plan was endorsed by the USACE Mississippi Valley Division, with approval to release the draft report on June 22, 2021. The Feasibility Study Report was released for agency technical review and public review in September 2021. Prior to finalization of the report, it was determined that the tentatively selected plan and other alternatives needed to be reevaluated. The updated Feasibility Study was rereleased for agency technical review and public review in September 2023. The study was completed in April 2024 and was approved by the Mississippi Valley Division in May 2024. A Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) has been developed and is currently being reviewed by the nonfederal sponsor. The PPA is anticipated to be signed in spring 2025, with design anticipated in fiscal year 2025 and 2026 and construction anticipated in fiscal year 2027.
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 USACE to work with tribal nations to study and determine the feasibility of carrying out projects that will substantially benefit tribal nations.
Funding
Fiscal years 2021-2023: Feasibility Study
Federal funds $484,000
Nonfederal sponsor funds $0
Fiscal year 2023: PPA
Federal funds $25,000
Nonfederal sponsor funds $0
The executed Feasibility Cost-Share Agreement of $484,000 qualifies for a cost-share waiver. The design and construction phase will qualify for an additional waiver of up to $648,000. Both the waived amounts and the ability-to-pay formulas are updated periodically. Recent guidance has authorized all tribes, regardless of income, be granted the 1156 waiver in addition to the aforementioned $648,000. This will reduce the nonfederal sponsor’s expected cost share by 75%.