The Public Law 84-99 (PL 84-99) Program provides reimbursement to sponsors enrolled in the partnered levee program for the repair of specific damages to maintained levees that result from high-water events. Most portions of the Mississippi River experienced significant and prolonged flooding this winter, spring and summer. Through the Regional Flood Risk Management program (RFRM), the Rock Island, St. Louis and St. Paul Districts have worked in collaboration with federal, state and local agencies and stakeholders to mitigate and repair damages across the region caused by these record-setting flood levels. The existing Programmatic Agreement facilitates rapid federal response to urgently needed repairs of flood control infrastructure in the District by outlining a standard process and timelines for project review involving all signatory parties.
The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) watershed is defined as the drainage area above Cairo, Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, exclusive of the Missouri River Basin, and encompasses approximately 185,000 square miles. It includes lands in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri and covers approximately 1,200 miles of navigable river on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The Corps recognizes that the UMR watershed and associated environments have a rich record of human history spanning more than 12,000 years and is one of the most archeologically and historically significant regions in the country. With respect to the sovereign tribal nations whose ancestral homelands are included in the UMR watershed, the Rock Island District invites comments, suggestions and signatory responsibility to facilitate coordination and communication of ongoing and future PL 84-99 repair projects within each tribe’s area of interest.
The Rock Island District invites the original signatories of the 1993 Agreement as well as designated tribal representatives with ancestral homelands included in the Rock Island District to participate in consultation and coordination in the revision process for the Programmatic Agreement.
A PDF of the existing Programmatic Agreement can be found here: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll11/id/4085
NOTE: Designated officials of federally-recognized Native American tribes with ancestral homelands in the Rock Island District who have not received direct communication or an invitation to participate in the revision process should contact the USACE-MVR District Tribal Liaison, Kelsey Myers, using the information below to initiate coordination.
Kelsey Myers, PhD, RPA
Email: kelsey.n.myers@usace.army.mil
Office: 309-794-5185