Environmental Assessment: Conestoga Reservoir Maintenance and Aquatic Habitat Rehabilitation Project Lancaster County, Nebraska

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE, Northwest Division, Omaha District has prepared this Environmental Assessment EA to evaluate the potential impacts of Conestoga Reservoir Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project. This EA has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Council of Environmental Quality s Regulations 40 CFR 1500-1508, as reflected in the USACE Engineering Regulation, ER 200-2- 2. This EA provides sufficient information about the potential adverse and beneficial environmental effects to allow the USACE, Omaha District Commander to make an informed decision on the appropriateness of an Environmental Impact Statement EIS or a Finding of No Significant Impact FONSI. The finding of the EA determines whether an EIS is required and if no indication of significant impacts is likely, then the agency can release a FONSI completing the NEPA process. This EA also serves as a Biological Assessment BA for purposes of Endangered Species Act ESA compliance. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission NGPC is planning a maintenance and aquatic habitat rehabilitation project at Conestoga Reservoir, Dam Site 12, Figure 1-1 to improve water quality, reduce sedimentation and shoreline erosion, and restore aquatic habitat. The proposed rehabilitation measures include 1 Modification of the reservoir outlet works to facilitate water level management 2 Sediment reshaping and removal to increase reservoir depth and depth-diversity, and increase the life span of the reservoir 3 Shoreline re-grading and construction of in-lake structures to restore and protect reservoir shoreline and create aquatic habitat 4 Construction of small upstream water quality sediment traps 5 Fish population renovation and restocking with desirable fish species Construction of these measures would require a drawdown of the reservoir, which will be maintained throughout the construction phase.