Home / Missions / Real Estate / Beaver Lake Land Acquisition

us army corps of engineers logo - white castle on red background

Beaver Lake Land Acquisition Study

GIS Map of Project Area

overhead map of beaver lake

* click for interactive map

Beaver Lake Land Acquisition Q&A

graphic showing workshop topics

 

 

Willing Sellers Meeting Announced.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hosting a meeting to discuss the potential purchase of low laying property surrounding Beaver Lake which is either constantly or periodically inundated at conservation pool.
Click here for more information or to RSVP for the meeting!

Beaver Lake Land Acquisition Study

The purpose of this page is to inform the public and stakeholders that an acquisition study is ongoing around Beaver Lake.  This page and the information it contains will help define the plan, detail the framework of the study, describe the possible acquisition process, and provide instructions on how to participate.

Why conduct the study?

The Flood Control Act of 1954 authorized construction of Beaver Lake for flood control, power, and other purposes. A Real Estate Design Memorandum developed prior to construction identified land and interests necessary for the operation, maintenance, and control of the reservoir. The methods and technology used to identify and purchase these lands at the time left some low-lying areas unacquired by USACE. As a result, the current Federal Government boundary around Beaver Lake does not meet the full mission requirements.

USACE initiated a process in March 2021 to assess all low-lying private land parcels along Beaver Lake that were unacquired by USACE in the original acquisition to include, the White River, and War Eagle Creek. Analysis showed the insufficient land base has negative impacts on the Congressionally mandated missions and identified approximately 500 landowners that may be impacted.

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.