Ground Water Problem at Niobrara, Nebraska and the Niobrara State Park
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tiS-NSr l y flul t n k i n w U I statmnt GROUND WATER PROBLEM AT NIOBRARA, NEBRASKA AND THE NIOBRARA STATE PARK U S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS P'o > ° r THE **'*'* LIBRARY SEP 3074 Bureau ot Reclamation Denver, Colorado DuncMU ur ncuLmvin i iuw uci^vcn uonmi TO 92068114 i 92068114 » $SL > Or*«®- FINAL iqi 3 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT J c | f GROUND WATER PROBLEM AT NIOBRARA, NEBRASKA AND THE NIOBRARA STATE PARK „ r IK ¥ Prepared By: U.S. ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, OMAHA, NEBRASKA V T April 1973yi ^ X GROUND WATER PROBLEM AT NIOBRARA, NEBRASKA AND THE NIOBRARA'STATE PARK ( ) Draft (X) Final Environmental Statement Responsible Office: U.S. Army Engineer District, Omaha, Nebraska 1. Name of Action: (X) Administrative ( ) Legislative 2. Description of Action: The proposed plan would involve government purchase of all affected property within the village limits of Niobrara, Knox County, Nebraska. The new townsite would be purchased by a non-profit development corporation which would, after completion of construction of the necessary municipal facilities, sell lots to relocating individuals at cost. 3. a. Environmental Impacts: The proposed action would alter the existing mode of living of the citizens of Niobrara, Nebraska. Land now occupied by the northern part of the village would be converted from urban to rural wetland. b. Adverse Environmental Effects: The proposed relocation would initially convert l£>0 acres of rolling pastureland to urban use. Present opportunities of public use.now available at Niobrara State Park would be altered. U. Alternatives : Solutions considered were levees and wells for ground water control, return to pre-project conditions by dredging, abandonment and acquisition, reduction of the normal operating level at Gavins Point Darn, and no action. 5. Comments Received: Nebr. Dept, of Environmental Control Village of Niobrara Environmental Protection Agency Niobrara State Park Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation University of Nebraska Commission Conservation Division Nebraska State Department of Health Nebraska Association of Soil Nebraska Department of Water and Water Conservation Resources Districts Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Missouri Basin Region, USDI H. Paul Friesema Bureau of Outdoor Recreation 6. Draft Statement to CEQ 19 July 1912. Final Statement to CEQ 19 JUL 1973 Table of Contents Subject Pafle I. Project Description 1.1 Authorization 1-1 1.2 Location 1-1 1.3 Problem 1-1 1.1* Proposed Project 1-1 1.5 Project Features 1 - 2- 1.5*1 Storm Severs 1-2 1.5.2 Sanitary Facilities 1-2 1.5.3. Water Supply 1-2 1.5.1* Park and Village Disposal 1-3 . 1.6 Benefit-Cost II. Environmental Setting Without the Project 2.1 Problem Description 2-1 2.2 Housing 2-1 2.3 Health 2-1* 2.1* Industry 2-5 2.5 Transportation 2-5 2.6 Topography 2-5 2.7 State Park 2-5 2.8 The Tovnsite 2-8 III. The Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action 3.1 Identify Impacts 3-1 3.1.1 Relocation 3-1 3.1.2 Economic Gain 3-1 3.1.3 Land Use Change 3-1 3.1.1* Inconvenience 3-1 3.1.5 Incidental Expenses 3-1 3.1.6 Niobrara State Park 3-1 3.2 Beneficial Aspects 3-1 3.2.1 Relocation 3-1 3.2.2 Potential for Economic Gains 3-2 3.3 Detrimental Aspects 3-2 3.3.1 Land Use Change 3-2 3.3.2 Inconvenience of Moving 3-2 3.3.3 Incidental Expenses 3-3 3.3.1* Niobrara State Park 3-3 3.1* Remedial Protective and Mitigative Measures 3-1* 1 ii Table of Contenta (Cont'd) Subject gag? r IV, Any Adverse Environmental Effects which Cannot be Avoided Should the Proposal be Implemented * l+.l Agricultural Production 1+-1 1+.2 Niobrara State Park h. 3 The Elderly 1+-1 1+-1 v * Alternatives to the Proposed Action w 5*1 Levees With Ground Water Control 5-1 5.1.1 General Description 5-1 5.1.2 Dredge Fill 5-1 5.1.3 Borrow Sites 5.1.1+ Cost 5-1 5-2 5-2 Dredging 5-2 5.2.1 General 5-2 5.2.2 Impacts 5-2 5.2.3 Cost 5-2 5.3 Abandonment of the Village by Acquisition of the Private Property and Acquisition of the Niobrara State Park 5-3 5.3.1 General 5-3 5.3.2 Impact 5-3 5.3.3 Cost 5.1+ 5-3 Reduce the Normal Operating Level at Gavins Point Dam 5-3 5. l+.l General 5-3 5.1+.2 Sediment Accumulation 5-3 V 5^.1+.3 Regulated Releases 5-3 5.5 Protect the Village as in Alternative 1 and Acquisition of the Niobrara State Park 5-1+ 5.5.1 General 5.6 No Action 5-1+ 5-1+ VI. The Relationship Between Local Short-Term Uses of Mgn's Environment and the Maintenance and Enhancement v. of Long-Term Productivity * VII‘ Agy Irreversible and Irretrievable Comm-i tments of Resources which would be Involved'"in the P r o l ^ d ' Action Should it be Implemented 7-1 VIII. Coordination with Others 8.1 Public Participation g_. 8.2 Government Agencies g_^ BUREAU0fE^ MATI0M iii Table of Contents (Cont1d) F Subject Page 8.2 8.2.1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 8-1 * 8.2.2 Missouri River Basin Region, USDI 8-2 8.2.3 State of Nebraska, Soil and Water Conservation Commission 8- 1+ f*. 8.2.h Office of Planning and Programming, State of Nebraska 8-5 8.2.5 University of Nebraska Conservation & Survey Division 8-5 8.2.6 Department of Environmental Control 8-5 8.2.7 State of Nebraska, Department of Health 8-6 8.2.8 Soil Conservation Service, USDA 8-6 8.2.9 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 8-6 8.2.10 Niobrara State Park, Supt. 8-6 8.2.11 Nebr. Assoc, of Soil and. Water Conservation Districts 8-6 8.2.12 Department of Water Resources 8-7 8.2.13 Village of Niobrara 8-7 8.2.11+ Bureau of Outdoor Recreation 8-7 8.3 Citizens Groups 8-8 8.3.1 H. Paul Friesema 8-8 Figures, Plates & Tables /+• Table 1 A Comparison of the Proposed Plan Estimate with the Estimate Used for Authorization 1-3 Figure 1 Niobrara River Delta 1-H % Figure 2 Village of Niobrara 2-2 Figure 3 Village of Niobrara 2-2 Figure 1+ Basement with Standing Water 2-3 Figure 5 Basement Walls 2-1+ Figure 6 Niobrara State Park 2-7 Figure Niobrara State Park 2-7 Plate Location Map 1 Plate Ground Water Elevations 2 Plate Missouri River Basin 3 Comments received Attached V V iv I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1.1 AUTHORIZATION Section 2 } 3 of the Flood Control Act of 1970, Public Law 91-611, 91st Congress, approved 31 December 1970, authorized the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers to resolve the seepage and drainage problem in the vicinity of the town of Niobrara, Nebraska. 1.2 LOCATION The village of Niobrara and the Niobrara State Park are located on the river bottom lands near the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers in Knox County, Nebraska about 4o miles west of the Gavins Point Dam, 60 miles north of Norfolk, Nebraska, and 152 air miles northwest of Omaha, Nebraska. 1.3 PROBLEM The threat of local flooding by surface waters and a rising ground water table are correlated to the growth of the Niobrara River Delta. The rising ground water alone has flooded basements, caused structural damage due to settlement, killed over 500 trees in Niobrara State Park, and rendered many park facilities useless and others only marginally operable. l.V PROPOSED PROJECT The recommended plan provides for acquisition of the private property in the village and relocation of the municipally owned facilities to a new townsite under the terms of a relocation contract between the Government and the Village. The new townsite would be purchased by a non-profit corporation, sponsored by the Village, and lots sold to relocating individuals, following construction of the necessary municipal facilities. The park would be purchased from the State by the Government. The development of new replacement park facilities would be a matter to be determined by the Nebraska State Game and Parks Commission. In April 1970, a poll of the citizens of Niobrara indicated that l81+ households and 4 5 businesses would plan to re-establish themselves in the relocated Village (85 percent). Results of the 27 October 19 7 1 poll show that of the 206 owners and tenants of homes and 58 owners and tenants of businesses, 188 (91 percent) and 55 (95 percent),respectively, would move to the selected new townsite. The responsibility to select the new townsite and formulate plans for relocation rests with the Village. As a result of studies and evaluations conducted by the Village and its architects and engineers, Site 1 was selected (Plate l). The new town- site plot design fits the site's topography thereby requiring little excavation for streets and utilities. It also provides for open space 1-1 are»a, thereby helng .•.»mil stent with current devet lopment practice« to provide for pleasant environmental surroundInge. The area Is laid out to accommodate mobile homes, housing for the elderly, apartments and an area for churches and businesses. The business area is located so as not to interfere with future residential expansion and to take advantage of the present location of State Highway 12.