Record of Decision on Clarke County Water Supply Project Final Plan-Environmental Impact Statement, Clarke County, Iowa

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision.

SUMMARY:  NRCS announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Clarke County Water Supply Project Plan and Final Plan-Environmental Impact Statement (Final Plan–EIS) in Clarke County, Iowa. NRCS has selected the “Water Supply Reservoir with Dam at Site 4B Alternative” as the preferred alternative. This alternative includes an earth fill embankment dam with a reinforced concrete pressure pipe principal spillway and vegetated auxiliary spillway. There would also be a water supply pipeline (including pumping station and GSR) to transport water from the reservoir to the water treatment plant.

ADDRESSES: The ROD and Final Plan–EIS are available on the NRCS project website at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/iowa/Clarke-County-Water-Supply-Project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael (Scott) Cagle, (515) 323-2211, michael.cagle2@usda.gov. Individuals with disabilities who require alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone (TTY mode)) or dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and text telephone users can initiate this call from any telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ROD identifies NRCS’s selected alternative for the Clarke County Water Supply Project, as described in the February 2026 Final Plan-EIS for Clarke County, Iowa.  NRCS reached its decision after reviewing the Final Plan–EIS, which is available on the NRCS project website listed in the Addresses section of this notice and was announced on April 10, 2026, through a notice of availability (91 FR 18456). The Final Plan-EIS evaluated the proposed action, the no-action alternative, and other alternatives. NRCS has selected the proposed action alternative, titled “Water Supply Reservoir with Dam at Site 4B Alternative.” This alternative includes an earth fill embankment dam with a reinforced concrete pressure pipe principal spillway and vegetated auxiliary spillway. There would also be a water supply pipeline (including pumping station and GSR) to transport water from the reservoir to the water treatment plant.

The ROD documents the basis for NRCS’s decision on the selected alternative, including the mitigation measures that will be implemented and the environmental, social, and economic factors considered under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  NRCS concludes that the selected alternative provides the most balanced approach to meeting project objectives while minimizing adverse effects.

NRCS reviewed and considered all substantive comments received on the Final Plan–EIS following publication of the notice of availability on April 10, 2026 (91 FR 18456). While the comments did not require changes to the Final Plan–EIS, a summary of the comments and NRCS’s responses, along with supporting materials, is available on the NRCS project website listed in the Addresses section above.

Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

Jaia Fischer,

Acting Iowa State Conservationist,

Natural Resources Conservation Service