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MKARNS Master Plan Revision

GIS Map of Project Area

mkarns masterplan map

* click for interactive map

MKARNS Land Classifications

graphic showing land classifications

Contact Information

MKARNS Homepage

Phone: 501-324-5540

e-mail ceswl-mkarnsmasterplanrevision@usace.army.mil

MKARNS Master Plan Revision

The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Little Rock District, has revised the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) Master Plan. 

The Master Plan guides the management of the government owned lands managed by USACE adjacent to the Lakes and River.  The Master Plan affects future management of natural resources and recreational opportunities to ensure the sustainability of the MKARNS.

The Master Plan revision classifies government owned lands and water managed by USACE across the project. 

Only land owned by the federal government that is managed by USACE was reviewed during the master plan revision process.  With exception of Dardanelle and Ozark pools, a majority of the shoreline along the MKARNS is not owned by the federal government, and therefore will not be included as part of the revision process.

Auxiliary plans such as the Operational Management Plan and Shoreline Management Plan are developed and operate under the umbrella of the Master Plan. Master Plan revisions allow the public to let USACE know how you would like the government owned lands that are managed by USACE around the lakes and river to be managed for the future.

The planning process included an analysis of potential effects on the natural and social environment, including fish and wildlife, recreation opportunities, economics, land use, cultural and historical resources, aesthetics, and public health and safety.

What is NEPA?

The National Environmental Policy Act is our basic national charter for protection of the environment. It is foremost a procedural law that helps ensure that federal decision makers take a hard look at the potential effects of a proposed action and allow the public and other stakeholders to comment on the federal agency’s effects analysis and consideration of reasonable alternatives. The NEPA analysis helps these decision makers understand the environmental consequences of the alternatives in comparative form before making a decision. This “hard look” is informed by the public and other stakeholders, starting with a project or study’s scoping phase.

graphic describing the national environmental policy act
* click the image to enlarge 

The environmental review process that accompanies Corps planning studies and its value to the public are not always easy to understand. Recognizing this, and to help the public and organizations effectively participate in federal agency environmental reviews, the Council on Environmental Quality wrote the informational A Citizen’s Guide to the NEPA