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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sam'.THREE Affected Environments and Environmental Consequences

3,2,2 Prime Farmland

The federal Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA) was enacted in 1981 (Public Law 98-98) to
minimize the unnecessary conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses as a result of federal
actions. In addition, FPPA seeks to assure that federal programs are administered in a manner
that will be compatible with state and local policies and programs that have been developed to
protect farmland. The Policy ofNRCS is to protect significant agricultural lands from the
conversions that are irreversible and result in the loss of an essential food and environmental
resource. The NRCS has developed criteria for assessing the effects of federal actions on
converting farmland to other uses, including a Farmland Conversion Impact Rating Form
AD-I066 that documents a site-scoring evaluation process to assess its potential agriculture
value. Prime farmland has been identified by NRCS as a significant agricultural resource that
warrants protection. The FPP A defines prime farmland as land which has the physical and
chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, fiber, forage, and oilseed crops and is available
for these uses. Prime farmland has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed
to economically produce sustained high yields of crops when treated and managed, including
water management, according to acceptable farming methods.

3,2.2,1

Alternative 1 - No Action

No prime farmland would be affected by the No Action Alternative.

3,2,2,2

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

This alternative would include acquiring approximately 60 acres of land for the proposed
conveyance channel. Approximately 55 acres of prime farmland would be converted to
floodwater conveyance. However, approximately 45 acres within the constructed channel would
be returned to agricultural use (hay production) during years that flooding does not occur.
Therefore, only 10 acres of prime farmland would be permanently lost with Alternative 2. As is
discussed in Section 3.9.2, hydrologic modeling of the 1997 flood event indicated that if
Alternative 2 had been in place during the 1997 flood, the duration of the flood, especially
downgradient from the proposed conveyance channel, would have been significantly reduced.
This reduction in the flood duration would have reduced the amount of agricultural crops lost
during the flood.

Because 55 acres of prime farmland would be disturbed, a Farmland Conversion Impact Rating
Form AD-1006 was completed. The proposed action was determined to have a value of 147.5.
Since the alternative received a total score ofless than 160, guidance in 7 CFR 658.4 indicates
that no further consideration or consultation with the NRCS would be required.

3,2,2.3

Alternative 3 - Improve Routing of Pawnee Creek Flood Flows

This alternative would include purchasing approximately 41 acres of land. Approximately
32 acres of prime farmland would be converted to flood control use. However, approximately
28 acres within the constructed floodway channel downstream from the Riverside Cemetery

3-5