Public Meeting – Saltlick Creek Watershed Rehabilitation Project

The Elk Conservation District (ECD) and the West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA) in combination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), are preparing Supplemental Watershed Plan and Environmental Documents (Plan-EDs) to consider improvements to bring five dams within the Saltlick Creek Watershed into compliance with the current dam safety standards. All five dams (Saltlick Creek Sites 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9) are located within Braxton County, West Virginia (WV), approximately eight miles northeast of the town of Sutton, WV.

Planning phase efforts are being pursued by the ECD and the WVCA in accordance with the requirements of the Watershed Rehabilitation Program with the NRCS to evaluate alternatives based on the project’s purpose and need. As the project involves federal funding and approvals, the Plan-EDs are being developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), corresponding Council on Environmental Quality regulations, and NRCS guidelines.

Alternatives to be considered may include no-action, decommissioning, non-structural and/or structural improvements to bring the dams into compliance with current dam safety standards. 

The participation of resource agencies and the public is a vital component of the project, providing those who are interested in or potentially affected by the proposed project an opportunity to share their comments, ideas, and concerns during project initiation. 
To support development of the Plan-EDs, we are writing to request your input to the scoping process by (1) identifying relevant issues or concerns to be considered, and (2) providing information or data which would be helpful in evaluating potential alternatives. 

You are invited and encouraged to learn more about this project and submit comments at a public and agency scoping meeting for the Saltlick Creek Watershed Plan-EDs to be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at 6 p.m., at the Elk Conservation District office located at 738 Airport Road in Sutton, WV. The option to attend the meeting virtually is also available at the link provided below: 

Public Meeting Virtual Link:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a01397fd-e169-4d36-93bb-327a6f71744d@7ec50e16-3787-4697-b086-795dd54b8c9a 

The NRCS provides reasonable accommodation to enable all persons with disabilities to participate in agency programs and activities. If you require special accommodations or for further information, please contact David Sweeney, Dam Safety Engineer by phone at 304-290-3214 by January 21, 2025.

The project team values your input and encourages you to provide comments and attend the scoping meeting on February 4, 2025, at 6 p.m.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact David Sweeney, Dam Safety Engineer, by phone at 304-290-3214 or via email at david.sweeney@usda.gov.  

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 
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