The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota, will partner on a groundwater water study for the tribe’s Bug O Nay Ge Shig School to understand the flow of water in the vicinity of the school.

The scope of work includes 10 data collection tasks and reporting that will begin March 28 and will take no more than two years to complete.

The purpose of the study is to provide technical assistance through the collection and analysis of hydrologic conditions and substances detected in four wells that provide drinking water to the tribal K-12 school. The information will be used by the tribe to work with state and federal agencies to identify and secure a new source of clean drinking water at the school.

The partnership is made possible through the Corps’ Planning Assistance to States, or PAS, program and is 100% federally funded. This program, authorized by Section 22 of the 1974 Water Resources Development Act as amended, provides authority for the Corps of Engineers to assist states, local governments, and other non-federal entities in the preparation of comprehensive plans for the development, use, and conservation of water and related land resources.

“The Planning Assistance to States agreement with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is an important step in bringing the Corps’ technical assistance capabilities to the tribes,” said Karla Sparks, St. Paul District program manager. “The information and data collected through this study will help the tribe evaluate the viability of clean drinking water for their local school.”