Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
PROJECT: Tongue River Supplemental Watershed Plan #3 Tongue River Watershed Channel Stabilization Project, Pembina County, North Dakota
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
ACTION: Notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact
SUMMARY: The project is located in Pembina County, North Dakota and the Local Sponsor is the Pembina County Water Resource District. The purposes of the proposed action are watershed protection and flood damage reduction.
The proposed channel stabilization project involves restoring natural pattern, profile, and dimension to 1.8 miles of the Tongue River starting at a location approximately 1.3 river miles downstream of the Tongue River crossing with North Dakota State Highway 89 in Section 28 of Beaulieu Township, Pembina County, ND. The proposed project will raise the elevation of the riverbed to within 3.0 feet of the natural floodplain, at the low point of the riffles, to just the capacity of the bankfull channel flow. Grade control structures to mitigate risk of future channel incision will be constructed in the channel, including a rock arch ramp with energy dissipation pool on the downstream end, rock cross vanes with buried sheet pile cutoff walls, and cobble patches, debris collectors, and beaver dam analogue structures. Bioengineering bank protection will protect exposed banks after construction, including ballasted large woody debris, cobble toes, coir fabric, grass seeding, live cuttings, and transplanted live willow clumps. Removal of old levee sections and floodplain grading will take place and includes 6.1 acres of floodplain excavation/wetland creation. All disturbed areas and areas of invasive vegetation will be revegetated with native species of grass, forbs, trees and shrubs.
The environmental assessment of this federally assisted action indicates that the project will not cause significant local, regional, or national impacts on the environment. As a result of these findings and pursuant to Section 102[2][c] of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations [40 CFR Part 650], Richard Webb, NRCS North Dakota Acting State Conservationist, has determined that the preparation and review of an environmental impact statement is not needed for this project.
Final engineering design and construction phases of this project may be funded through the NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Program, as authorized by Public Law 83-566.
The Notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been forwarded to the various Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties. The FONSI and Watershed Plan/Environmental Assessment is available for download at:
No administrative action on implementation of the proposal will be taken until 30 days from the publication date of this Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christi Fisher, State Conservation Engineer/Watershed Program Manager
Natural Resources Conservation Service
220 East Rosser Avenue
PO Box 1458
Bismarck, North Dakota 58502-1458
Telephone (701)-530-2030
email christi.fisher@usda.gov