Overview. Authorized under Section 905(b) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, Expedited Reconnaissance Studies, these studies are intended to define water resource problems and identify solutions to decide if there is Federal interest in implementing solutions to ecosystem degredation, flooding, and other related water resource problems. Studies should be completed within 6-12 months from initial obligation of funds to signing of the Feaasibility Cost Sharing Agreement (FCSA). From the start through roughly the first 6 months, the Section 905(b) Analysis Report should be prepared, then in the following months, a Project Study Plan and FCSA should be negotiated, the FCSA should be certified by headquarters, and the FCSA should be executed.
Cost Sharing. 100% Federal cost, not to exceed $ 100,000.
Reconnaissance Study Requirements.
- Determine if the water resource problem warrants Federal participation in a feasibility study;
- Define the Federal interest, consistent with Army policy, costs, benefits, and environmental impacts;
- Complete a 905(b) Preliminary Analysis Report;
- Prepare a Project Study Plan;
- Assess the level of interest and support from non-Federal entities in cost-sharing of a feasibility study and project construction. Obtain a letter of intent from the local sponsor;
- Negotiate and execute a Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement (FCSA).
Reconnaissance Phase Products.
Section 905(b) Analysis Report - This report is used as a basis for making a decision to proceed or not to proceed into the feasibility phase. The report will be submitted to our headquarters for review and approval as early as possible in the recon phase.
- Study Authority
- Study Purpose
- Location of Project
- Discussion of prior studies, reports, and existing water projects
- Plan Formulation
- Identified problems
- Alternative plans
Evaluation of alternatives
- Federal Interest
- Preliminary Financial Analysis
- Summary of Feasibility Study Assumptions
- Feasibility Study milestones
- Feasibility Study Cost Estimate
- Recommendations
- Issues
- Views of other Resource Agencies
- Project Area Map
Project Study Plan (PSP) - The PSP is developed to guide the development and preparation of the feasibility study and is utilized in cost shared feasibility study negotiations. The plan is a collaboration between the Sponsor and the Corps.
The PSP will include a detailed description of the project, a breakdown of feasibility study work activities and responsibilities, draft schedules and cost estimates, coordination procedures and a quality control plan.
Letter of Intent -
The local sponsor declares its intent to cost share in the feasibility study and project construction costs.
Feasibility Cost Share Agreement:
| Negotiable Items |
Non-Negotiable Items |
Project Study Plan
Feasibility Study Schedule
Feasibility Study Cost
Mix of Cash/In-Kind |
Cost Sharing Percentage
Boilerplate Provisions
|
Section 905(b) Analysis Report Work Activities (Tasks 1 - 6):
Scope. The Reconnaissance Study can investigate single projects to include navigation, flood damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, shoreline or stream bank protection, or water quality enhancement. Also, multiple problems can be investigated under comprehensive watershed studies.
Task 1 - Data Collection and Review. Existing, readily-available data will be used to verify and understand the problem. Coordination with the local sponsor, Federal, state, and local agencies will occur. Professional and Technical judgement will be used. Items such as: topographical maps, newspaper articles, trainfall records, benchmarks, highwater mark locations, mapping, existence of flood insurance studies, flood plain manager POC. s, reports done by other agencies, community contacts, local sponsor suggested solutions, hydrology & hydraulic data, geotechnical information, information on loss of aquatic habitat and fish, master plans, surveys (topo/cultural/environmental), engineering studies, and dam operating reports.
The purpose of this task is to :
- Characterize existing land and water resource conditions;
- Ascertain water resource problems and opportunities;
- Identify critical resources requiring further information gathering and analysis;
- Identify on-going and previous water resource planning efforts by the Corps and other Federal, state, and local agencies and evaluate proposed solutions;
- Identify relevant entities with responsibility for water and related land resource decision-making in the project area;
- Develop a field reconnaissance plan for collection of additional information.
Task 2 . Field Reconnaissance/Plan Formulation. Obtain engineering, environmental analysis, economic, design, cost estimating and hydrology/hydraulics input in conducting the field reconnaissance activities.
- Establish existing conditions based on Task 1, including correspondence with appropriate agencies and field observations;
- Formulate initial alternatives. At least one reasonable solution for each identified problem having potential to be in the Federal interest will be made;
- Locate potential sites for alternative solutions, including borrow and disposal areas, if needed.
Task 3 . Evaluation of Alternatives. The key output of plan formulation will be to determine if there is a Federal interest in environmental restoration and/or flood control. For flood control a positive B/C ratio would be needed. For environmental restoration a reasonable probability that the project would make a tangible, positive difference in the environment with respect to cost.
- Develop a reconnaissance level cost estimate for each alternative;
- Determine reconnaissance level economic and environmental benefits of ecosystem restoration and flood damage reduction;
- Determine preliminary potential impacts of alternatives;
- Identify and scope feasibility study tasks.
Task 4 . Prepare Draft Section 905(b) Preliminary Analysis Report. A Draft Section 905(b) Analysis Report will be prepared. The report will include project area maps showing location of area and reaches of various alternative plans. Correspondence and Letter of Intent will be included. A task list to conduct the feasibility study will reflect the recommended authority (GI or CAP). The task list and task descriptions will be prepared in enough detail to allow the development of feasibility study cost estimates for each task.
Task 5 . Study Status Briefing. Corps of Engineers and Local Sponsor will meet to discuss the Preliminary Analysis Report to ensure that the work identified reflects the requirements, desires and interest of both the Corps and the non-Federal sponsor.
Task 6 . Final 905(b) Analysis Report. The Corps will prepare the final reconnaissance study package by incorporating necessary changes to the Draft Section 905(b) Analysis Report.LI>The Section 905(b) Analysis Report is to be used as the basis for making the decision to proceed or to not proceed into the feasibility phase. The Section 905(b) Analysis Report will be submitted to Headquarters for review and approval as early as possible in the reconnaissance phase.
Project Study Plan. Project Study Plan discussions with the non-Federal sponsor will be initiated at the start of the study and will be continuous throughout the study phase.
Headquarters Approval. After Headquarter approvals of the 905(b) Analysis Report and Letter of Intent and upon completion of the Project Study Plan negotiation and approval of any requested deviations to the model Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement (FCSA), the Detroit District will execute the FCSA, which concludes the reconnaissance phase.
Study Summaries.
1. Kalamazoo, Michigan Section 905(b) Reconnaisance study
2. Muskegon, Michigan Section 905(b) Reconnaisance study
3. White Lake, Michigan Section 905(b) Reconnaisance study
4. Spy Run Creek, Fort Wayne and Cedarville Reservoir, Leo Cedarville, Indiana Section 905(b) Reconnaisance study
5. Lower Fox River and Green Bay, Wisconsin Section 905(b) Reconnaisance study
Detroit District POC. Planning Branch; (313) 226-6773
