Purpose
The Planning Assistance to States (PAS) program, also known as the Section 22 program, provides authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to assist states, local governments and other nonfederal entities in the preparation of comprehensive plans for the development, use and conservation of water and related land resources.
Description
The needed planning assistance is determined by the individual states and tribes. USACE accommodates as many studies as possible within the funding allotment. Typical studies are performed at only a planning level of detail. They do not include detailed design for project construction. Studies fall into two categories: comprehensive planning and technical assistance.
The types of studies currently performed focus on water supply, water conservation, water quality modeling, watershed evaluations, wetland evaluations, floodplain management, dam safety/failure, flood risk reduction and environmental conservation/restoration.
Status
There are currently seven active PAS program studies in the St. Paul District.
Wisconsin
- Eau Claire River near Lake Altoona, completed June 2024
Minnesota
- Big Sandy Lake Watershed Assessment and Fish Study
- Valley Branch Watershed District Comprehensive Study, completed December 2023
- Lake Osakis Comprehensive Study: Sauk River Watershed District
- Leech Lake Band Ojibwe Groundwater Study
- Red Lake River Reservoir (Thief) Raw Water Intake Study, completed January 2025
Minnesota and North Dakota
- Red River of the North Bathymetric Surveys, completed fall 2024
- Red River of the North Comprehensive Study
- Northern Red River Flood Study
North Dakota
- Minot Oxbow Rehabilitation Study
Authority
The PAS program was authorized by Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1974 (Public Law 93-251), as amended. Section 208 of WRDA 1992 amended WRDA 1974 to include eligible Native American tribes as equivalent to a state.
Funding
Projects are cost-shared 50/50 between the federal government and the nonfederal sponsor. The sponsor is allowed to use work-in-kind as 100% of its cost share. Section 8119 of WRDA 2022 authorized waiving the cost-share requirement of economically disadvantaged communities.