USACE Reconnaissance Studies

The Corps’ process for projects is characterized by a two-stage planning for project development.  The first stage is the reconnaissance study, which is used to make a preliminary determination whether a plan that the Corps of Engineers can eventually implement is likely to be developed. If the reconnaissance stage ends with one or more promising plans for implementation as well as strong non-Federal support for that plan, planning proceeds to the feasibility stage.

(1) The Reconnaissance Phase for the California Sediment Master Plan has been completed. The objectives of a Reconnaissance Phase are to:

1. determine if the water resource(s) problems warrant Federal participation in feasibility studies
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2. define the Federal interest
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3. complete a 905(b) Analysis Reconnaissance Report
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4. prepare a Project Management Plan
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5. assess the level of interest and support from non-Federal entities, and (6) negotiate and execute a Feasibility Cost Sharing Agreement (FSCA). This determines whether or not planning to develop a project should proceed to the more detailed feasibility phase.

(2) Feasibility Phase. The objective of feasibility studies is to investigate and recommend solutions to water resources problems by implementing the Project Management Plan. The feasibility phase is cost shared 50 percent Federal and 50 percent non-Federal. The USACE and Cal Boating have executed a FSCA, and are jointly implementing the various projects described on the Sediment Master Plan page.