FLOOD09102

• County: Logan
• Community: Sterling
• Basin: South Patte
• Title: Sterling Flood Control Interceptor Channel Project
• Date: 4/1/2002
• Prepared For: Sterling
• Prepared By: URS
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

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SEmO.THREE Anected Environments and Environmental Consequences

3,2 LAND USE AND PLANNING

Land use varies within the project area. The project area contains land that is undeveloped!
uncultivated adjacent to the South Platte River and land used for transportation, including
railroad, highway, and county roads. Irrigated cropland is the primary land use within the overall
project area. Limited urban development (a cemetery, a city maintenance yard, and a few small
businesses) also exists within the vicinity of the project area.

3,2,1 Floodplain Encroachment (E.Q,11988)

The intent of Executive Order (E.O.) 11988 is to require Federal agencies to take actions to
minimize occupancy of and modifications to floodplains. Specifically, E.O. 11988 prohibits
federal agencies from funding construction in the 100-year floodplain (or 500-year floodplain for
a critical facility) unless there are no practicable alternatives. By its very nature, the NEP A
compliance process involves the same basic decision process to meet objectives found in the
Eight-Step Decision-Making Process (Appendix D). The Eight-Step Decision-Making Process
has been applied through implementation of the NEPA process followed as part of this EA.

Logan County and Sterling both participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFlP). By
participating in the NFlP, the County and City have implemented controls, zoning, and
development regulations, along with effective land use planning to reduce and control
development within the 100-year floodplain of both the South Platte River and Pawnee Creek.

3,2,1.1

Alternative 1 - No Action

The No Action Alternative would not directly affect land use within and adjacent to the project
area. This alternative would not contribute to additional structures being located within the
100-year floodplains within Sterling or Logan County.

3,2,1.2

Alternative 2 - Sterling Flood Control Interceptor Channel (Proposed
Action)

Most ofthe features of this alternative are located within the mapped 100-year floodplain of
Pawnee Creek and!or the South Platte River. The Pawnee Creek floodplain extends
approximately 1 mile west from Highway 6, and runs north to the City of Sterling. According to
the FIRM, the South Platte River 100-year floodplain extends west from the river to
approximately one-third mile east of Highway 6.

Since there is no practical alternative that could be employed to retain flood flows within the
banks of Pawnee Creek, the intent of the project is to capture and redirect overland flood flows
from Pawnee Creek. Therefore, regardless of the alternative selected, project features would
need to be located in the floodplain. The public was informed that the proposed action would
involve construction activities in a designated floodplain. When this alternative was evaluated in
regard to potential impacts to the designated floodplains, it received a favorable evaluation, as it
would not be expected to cause any additional flooding upgradient of the constructed channel
and would be expected to reduce flooding downgradient ofthe constructed channel. Based on

3-3