Sediment Management Plan Update Focus Of Annual Meeting

​Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 18th Annual Membership Meeting to be held on
Tuesday, April 23rd beginning at 1:30 pm at the Ponca Tribal Headquarters located in the village of Niobrara at 2523
Woodbine Street.
The meeting is free and open to the public. All interested people are encouraged to attend.
MSAC has invited Paul Boyd, a hydraulic engineer with the US Army Corps of Engineers – Omaha District, and Brad
Thompson, of the USACE Omaha District’s planning branch, to provide a progress update of developing a sediment
management plan for Lewis and Clark Lake along with the affected tributaries and the delta within the lake and
upstream.
On Jan. 16, 2019, MSAC formally requested planning assistance from the USACE to develop a sediment management
plan. Currently, the USACE is drafting an agreement for MSAC to consider that would outline the scoping costs and tasks.
The preliminary planning process of scoping identifies the work that will be done and how much it will cost to develop
the sediment management plan (SMP) aimed at outlining actions that can be taken to prevent sediment from reducing
water storage capacity at Lewis and Clark Lake.
“This plan would analyze options to address the ongoing sedimentation problems that have broad national, state, local,
tribal and general public concern. The goals of this project align with MSAC’s support of reservoir sustainability for
future generations, as the benefits provided are too great of national and local importance to allow to wither away,”
said Sandy Stockholm, MSAC executive director. “But first we must determine what needs to be done to come up with
the plan, including a timeline and costs for bringing data together in a broad, holistic way.”
In July of 2018, MSAC began a discussion with stakeholders around Lewis and Clark Lake along with local, state, and
national officials about the specific pathways available for developing a SMP. Many entities in both South Dakota and
Nebraska have indicated support.
Recent flooding on the Niobrara River will also be discussed at the annual meeting.
Also invited to provide an update is Brian Halm, operations manager with Streamside Environmental. The sediment
removal and restoration service company, located in Findlay, Ohio, utilizes passive sediment collectors to remove certain
sediments moving along stream bottoms.

MSAC will hold elections for three Board of Director member positions whose terms are expiring: Charlie Gross, an at-
large member; Butch Becker, representing Class IV (individuals) and Randy Holmquist, representing Class III

(commercial.)
The MSAC Board of Director members will conduct a board meeting beginning at 10:30 a.m. also at the Ponca Tribal
Headquarters in Niobrara. Both the board meeting and annual meeting are open to the public. Between meetings, lunch
will be provided at approximately 12:30 pm. For planning purposes, please let MSAC know via email
(msaconline@gmail.com) or phone, 605-661-1594, if you are able to take part in lunch.
MSAC, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, invites its members and anyone interested in the future of the Missouri River
reservoirs and system benefits to attend one or both meetings. Membership and contribution information can be found
at www.msaconline.com. Follow MSAC on Facebook.