Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System, Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System

Authors

Date of this Version

2009

Comments

Published in Final 2009 Annual Report (2009) 1-95

Abstract

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this Annual Report for interested parties in accordance with reporting recommendations of the Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System (System), Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System, prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), dated November 30, 2000, and the Amendment thereto, dated December 16, 2003 (BiOp). This annual report also documents the Corps’ activities implemented under the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri (Mitigation Project). Congress first authorized construction of the Mitigation Project in Section 601(a) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 (Public Law 99-662). Section 334(a) of WRDA 1999 (Public Law 106-53) modified the Mitigation Project by increasing the amount of acreage to be acquired and/or mitigated. The total amount of land authorized for mitigation is currently 166,750 acres. Section 3176(a) of WRDA 2007 further amended Sec 601(a), which allowed funds made available for recovery or mitigation activities in the lower basin of the Missouri River to be used for recovery or mitigation activities in the upper basin of the Missouri River, including the states of Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

This Annual Report documents Corps activities and progress in implementation of the elements of the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA), Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPM), and Conservation Recommendations outlined in the BiOp for the federally listed threatened and endangered species on the Missouri River and activities implemented under the combined Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP) and Mitigation Project for calendar year (CY) 2009. Only those items that were ongoing in CY 2009 or have been accelerated in the BiOp schedule are included in this Annual Report. Activities described in this Annual Report are summarized below. More detailed descriptions of these activities are provided in this report in the sections identified below.