Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System, Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project, and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this annual report for interested parties in accordance with reporting recommendations of the Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System (System), Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System, prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) dated November 30, 2000, and the Amendment thereto, dated December 16, 2003 (BiOp). This annual report also documents the Corps’ activities implemented under the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri (Mitigation Project). Congress first authorized construction of the Mitigation Project in Section 601(a) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 (Public Law 99-662). Section 334(a) of WRDA 1999 (Public Law 106-53) modified the Mitigation Project by increasing the amount of acreage to be acquired and/or mitigated. The total amount of land authorized for mitigation is currently 166,750 acres. This report documents Corps activities and progress in implementation of the elements of the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA), Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPM), and Conservation Recommendations outlined in the BiOp for the federally listed threatened and endangered species on the Missouri River and activities implemented under the Mitigation Project for calendar year 2008. These activities were carried out as part of the larger Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP). Only those items that are required for calendar year 2008 or have been accelerated in the BiOp schedule are included in this annual report. Activities described in this annual report are summarized below. A more detailed description of these activities is provided in the main document