Kaycee Flood Protection Project Watershed Plan/Environmental Assessment Completed

Caption:  Xavier Montoya (l) State Conservationist, NRCS; Jason Williams, Chairman, Powder River Conservation District; and Allen Streeter, Mayor of Kaycee, sign copies of a completed watershed plan/environmental assessment for the Town of Kaycee and the Powder River Conservation District.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided planning assistance to complete the environmental assessment for the Kaycee Flood Protection Project. 

Supported by the environmental assessment, which resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), the Town of Kaycee and the Powder River Conservation District (project sponsors) may now begin implementing the plan to protect the community from flood waters of the Powder River.  A recent signing ceremony, attended by agency and sponsor officials, concluded the environmental assessment process.

“The signing of this document is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the NRCS,” said Allen Streeter, Mayor of Kaycee.  “The Town of Kaycee will benefit greatly from it as it will be a very useful tool in assisting us in making the proposed flood wall to protect the residents of Kaycee a reality.”  

High spring runoff combined with heavy rains has threatened the town several times.  In 1995, the town’s main sewer system was endangered when roaring water eroded the bank between the river and the sewer main.   In 2002, a major portion of Kaycee was devastated when a 7.4 inch rain event caused the Middle Fork of the Powder River to overflow its banks and ravage the community.   In both situations, the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, the Powder River Conservation District and several other partners provided assistance.

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