Burlington Flood Protection Plan on Display

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, has released a draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment for proposed alterations to the existing levee system, as well as constructing new flood risk reduction features in Burlington, North Dakota.

There has been a history of flooding along the Souris River (also referred to as the Mouse River) in north-central North Dakota. In 2011, the flood of record occurred in the Souris River Basin, causing more than $1 billion in damages to homes, businesses, public facilities and infrastructure along the entire length of the Souris River.

The Souris River Joint Water Resource Board is pursuing a plan to reduce future flood risks throughout the U.S. portions of the Souris River Basin by constructing a series of new levees, floodwalls and other flood risk reduction features.

This plan has become known locally as the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project. The Corps of Engineers completed a final programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Mouse River plan in July 2017 and issued its Record of Decision on the project December 19, 2017.

Much of the information presented in the programmatic EIS is incorporated by reference in the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment, while still addressing site-specific impacts resulting from the Burlington phase of the project, said USACE.

The comment period ends November 4, 2019.