Notification is hereby given to the public that the City of Pierre has requested funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to increase the size of the culvert outfall conveying waters of Whiskey Gulch between River Road and Lakeside Lane in the City of Pierre, Hughes County, South Dakota. The facility was damaged as a result of severe storms and flooding during the period of June 17, 2015 to June 24, 2015 (FEMA-4233-DR-SD). This notification is provided pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Executive Orders 11988 – Floodplain Management, and Executive Order 11990 – Wetland Protection, and Federal agency implementation procedures described in 44 C.F.R. Part 9 and Part 10. Funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program will be utilized. The purpose of FEMA’s PA Program is to restore facilities to pre-disaster condition, including implementation of cost-effective mitigation to the damaged elements that will reduce the overall risk to populations and property. The intent of the project is to mitigate flooding and severe erosion on Whiskey Gulch as it passes through the residential community between West Capitol Avenue and the Missouri River.
The culvert outfall and attendant erosion control elements have been designed, sized and specified by an engineer licensed in South Dakota. The existing 60-inch diameter culvert was upsized to 72-inch diameter to increase the volume of water discharging from the culvert during high-flow events. A concrete wing wall, energy dissipater and erosion control mat serve to abate the velocity of discharge and erosion potential below the outfall. The culvert length closely matches the existing culvert length. The project also restored River Road, sanitary sewer collection and storm water collection to pre disaster condition. Mitigation funding will also be used to provide a concrete inlet structure on the northeast side of the River Road – Capitol Avenue intersection. Construction activities were and will be carried out in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances, including floodplain development.
The President of the United States has issued Executive Orders that require Federal Agencies to focus attention on the environment and on human health and safety when considering the funding of an action. Executive Order 11988 – Protection of Floodplains requires federal agencies to avoid to the extent possible the long and short-term adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of floodplains and to avoid direct and indirect support of floodplain development wherever there is a practicable alternative. With this public notice, FEMA is informing the public that the proposed actions will occur in areas that are mapped within the 100-year floodplain and regulated wetlands. There are no practicable alternatives to the purposed project and it is anticipated that long-term impacts to the floodplain will be beneficial, with potential minor, short-term impacts during the construction process. FEMA has also evaluated potential effects of the proposed projects on wetlands, endangered species and historic properties, and determined there will be no significant impacts to these resources due to the completed and proposed work.
A public comment period for the proposed project described in this notice will remain open for fifteen (15) days from date of publication. Interested persons may obtain more detailed information about the project by contacting Gidget Palmer, City of Pierre, by phone at
(605)773-8089 or by email at Gidget.Palmer@ci.pierre.sd.us. Information may also be requested from Charles Bello, FEMA Environmental Specialist by by email at charles.bello@fema.dhs.gov.