Final Public Notice - FEMA #736199– DMCCB Boat Ramps

posted on 12/14/23

FINAL PUBLIC NOTICE

The Des Moines County Conservation Board has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) funding through the Iowa Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEMD) as a Subrecipient.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives, and to provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements, and conditions.

Subrecipient: Des Moines County Conservation Board
Project Title: Grants Manager #736199– DMCCB Boat Ramps; PA-07-MO-4732-PW-003.
Location of Proposed Work:

table

Special Flood Hazard Area Zone:
FEMA is conducting a floodplain review for these work sites as they were damaged by flooding in spring, 2023. Sullivan Slough is located in a Zone AE floodplain fringe (100-year floodplain), per Des Moines County Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) 19057C0326F, effective on 10/21/2021. Tama Landing is located in a regulatory floodway, per Des Moines County FIRM

19057C0170F, effective on 10/16/2015. Hawkeye Dolbee is located in a regulatory floodway, per Des Moines County FIRM 19057C0090F, effective on 10/16/2015. Hawkeye Dolbee is identified as being within a wetland PFO1A and PEM1F, but the parking lot has been established in its current bounds since 1981. Proposed work to restore parking lots will not alter current floodplain or wetland values.

Proposed Work and Purpose:
Des Moines County Conservation Board proposes to repair the three gravel parking lots adjacent to recreational boat ramps entering the Mississippi River. The following amounts reflect repairs to established gravel lots and boat access ramps, replacing approximately a depth of two (2) inches of gravel.

•   Sullivan Slough work will replace a total of 151.55 CY of gravel on boat parking lot and boat ramp (40.72529, -91.12007).
•   Tama Boat landing: work will replace a total of 92.75 CY of gravel on boat parking lot and boat ramp (GPS: 40.87596, -91.05336).
•   Hawkeye Dolbee landing, work will replace 123.78 CY of gravel on boat ramp landing and boat ramp (GPS: 41.01979, -90.96590).

Project Alternatives:

Alternative #1 (No action): The 'no action' alternative would leave the boat ramps and associated gravel-top parking lots exposed to future flooding events. Leaving gravel lots unrestored could increase risk to users and impair recreational access to the river.

Alternative #2 (Relocation): This alternative is not practicable as the cost of relocation significantly exceeds the cost of repair.

Alternative #3 (Repairs, with mitigation): Mitigation of gravel parking lots has not been found to be cost-effective. The underlying base material has not been found to be damaged.

Comment Period:
Comments are solicited from the public, local, state, or federal agencies, and other interested parties to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to the following email: r7-mt-ehp@fema.dhs.gov. Please send comments with the subject line [DR-4732-IA-003 Floodplain COMMENT>.

All comments are due by no later than 15 days after the posted date of this notice.

POSTED ON: 12/14/2023

End of Notice

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