This project is funded through authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act.
Project Description
The United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in cooperation with the Fort Belknap Indian Community (Sponsor), will be preparing a Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (EA) for Lake Seventeen and Little Suction Creek and associated watersheds in Blaine and Phillips Counties. The watershed Plan-EA will be prepared under the NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program and will consider opportunities to conserve and improve habitat for fish and wildlife, public recreation, and agricultural water management in conjunction with Lake Seventeen, its dam, and diversion channel; Little Suction Creek; Duck Creek and/or Peoples Creek. It will include exploration of how best to use Tribal water rights and what opportunities exist to meet needs associated with those rights.
NRCS, as the lead federal agency, will prepare the Plan-EA in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508) and the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (Public Law 83-566).
Current Status
The project is currently in the scoping phase, which involves identifying natural resource concerns in the watershed and exploring potential alternatives to address these concerns. It also aims to collect stakeholder value information and understand their desired outcomes.
As part of this phase, NRCS held two public scoping meetings on the Fort Belknap Reservation to provide more information about the project and to collect written public comments.
Public Scoping Meetings
As part of this phase, NRCS will hold two public scoping meetings on the Fort Belknap Reservation to provide more information about the project and to collect written public comments. A brief presentation will be provided at the start of each meeting, followed by an open house meeting format.
September 17, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Agency Bingo Hall
400 Agency Main Street
Harlem, MT 59526
September 19, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Kills At Night Center (Green Building)
2192 Hays Road
Hays, MT 59527
If you were unable to attend one of the public meetings, meeting materials can be downloaded below, and written comments may also be submitted in the following ways.
Submit Comments
Written comments may be submitted by mail or email.
USDA NRCS Montana
Attn: Alyssa Fellow
10 E Babcock St, Rm 443
Bozeman, MT 59715-4704
Comments must be postmarked by October 4, 2024.
A previous watershed Plan-EA for Lake Seventeen and Little Suction Creek was started in 2018 under a federal contract, which was terminated in 2020 before the Preliminary Draft Plan-EA could be completed. Comments submitted as part of the 2018 project can be resubmitted during this scoping period.
Thank you to the many regional stakeholders and cooperating agencies who participated in this previous effort and for your continued interest in the project.
Project Schedule
- Scoping Public Comment Period: September 4, 2024-October 4, 2024
- Scoping Public Meetings: September 17, 2024, and September 19, 2024
- Alternatives Development and Screening: August 2024-February 2025
- Development of Draft Watershed Plan - EA: Fall 2024-2025
- Draft Plan-EA Public Comment Period (30 days): Fall 2025
- Develop Final Plan-EA: Winter 2025-Spring 2026
- Issue Finding of No Significant Impact: Spring 2026
Contact Information
Rob Molacek, P.E.
State Conservation Engineer
USDA NRCS Montana
10 E Babcock St, Rm 443
Bozeman, MT 59715-4704
Email: Robert.molacek@usda.gov
406-587-6828
Note: This page will continue to be updated throughout the planning process.
