Near Cannon Ball, North Dakota (CNN)Celebrations, tears of joy, chanting and drumming rang out among thousands of protesters after the US Army announced it will not -- for now -- allow developers to build a portion of the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe here.
The Army will not let the pipeline cross the federally administered reservoir on the Missouri River "based on the current record," because the decision requires more analysis, including a deeper consideration of alternative routes, Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy wrote in a letter Sunday.
"A more robust analysis of alternatives can be done and should be done ... before an easement is granted for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri River on Corps land," Darcy wrote.
The news has been cheered by Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members and their supporters who argue that the pipeline, if it were to rupture at the lake, would endanger the tribe's water supply. The tribe's reservation lies a half-mile south of the proposed crossing location.
But tribal leaders warn their fight isn't over, as the Army's statement does not rule out approval for the current plan in the future.