The department proposes to issue a Section 401 Water Quality Certification to the North Central MO Regional Water Commission, subject to general or special conditions. The department invites the public to review and offer written comments on the proposed certification conditions until Feb. 9, 2024. The comment period was originally scheduled to end Jan. 19, 2024. The public can review the proposed certification conditions below. Other relevant information is available for review and copying upon request. Written comments may be submitted by mail to Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Water Quality Certification, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or by email to wpsc401cert@dnr.mo.gov. Please include the certification number in the comment letter.
The North Central MO Regional Water Commission requested Section 401 Water Quality Certification to accompany the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Permit No. MVM-2004-00255. The project is located in Locust Creek and wetlands adjacent to unnamed tributaries to East Fork Locust Creek, in Sullivan County, Missouri. The proposed project consists of constructing an earthen dam, approximately 0.5 mile long, within East Fork Locust Creek to create a 2,328-acre multipurpose reservoir. The dam would be constructed in 3 stages. Stages 1 and 2 would be constructing the eastern and western sides of the dam adjacent to East Fork Locust Creek. Stage 3 would involve constructing the center portion that blocks East Fork Locust Creek and fills the reservoir. Seven borrow areas, totaling 84 acres, are proposed to provide fill for the dam. A concrete spillway would be constructed on the eastern end of the dam, extending 1,247 feet southwest to the East Fork Locust Creek main channel and provide downstream flow in East Fork Locust Creek. To facilitate public access and recreational use, allow for construction access, and minimize adverse transportation impacts, additional road improvements and realignments are proposed. This work would include constructing several bridges and culvert crossings, as well as closing and abandoning several roads, including a portion of State Highway N near Boynton. The timing of the mid-lake corridor portion of this proposed work would occur concurrent with or before dam construction.
Water supplied by the proposed action would be transferred by a raw water transmission pipeline to Milan, Missouri, the location of the existing water treatment plant. An approximately 24,700-foot raw water line would be constructed from a water intake near the dam and run run generally southwest along the existing, abandoned rail line until it reaches the water treatment plant north of Milan. Approximately 49.5 miles of streams (approximately 45.1 acres) will be impacted, including 8.9 miles of perennial streams, 18 miles of intermittent streams and 22.6 miles of ephemeral streams. Wetland impacts include a total of 399.9 acres consisting of 152.1 acres of palustrine emergent, 12.8 acres of palustrine scrub-shrub, 81.9 acres of palustrine forested, 33.5 acres of open water features and 119.6 acres of farmed wetlands.