The first three phases of the Mouse River flood protection have been given the green light from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to begin construction, the City of Minot said in their latest announcement.
The Souris River Joint Board was notified Wednesday, December 20, that USACE has issued a Record of Decision for the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project. Additionally, USACE granted a Section 408 Permission to the Souris River Joint Board to alter the existing federal flood control project within Minot.
The Record of Decision is the final step in the Environmental Impact Statement process. The issuance of the Record of Decision signifies a major permitting milestone for the Mouse River Plan.
“ This is a great step forward for advancing flood control throughout the Mouse River basin in North Dakota. This Record of Decision applies not only to those phases of construction that are expected to begin next spring but also to future projects upstream and downstream of Minot ,” said Dave Ashley, Chairman of the Souris River Joint Board.
“In addition, the 408 Permission granted by the Corps of Engineers will allow us to construct the phases of the project that have recently been bid.”
The Environmental Impact Statement was developed to disclose the benefits and impacts of the project from upstream of Burlington to downstream of Velva.
The city said that an additional environmental review will be necessary for future phases of the project, but the issuance of the Record of Decision will streamline future reviews and permitting processes.
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