State and local officials are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to approve permits for the Souris River Basin flood control project in phases – to help make sure the project can be built in a timely manner.
The Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project is basin wide – and has a goal of providing flood protection up to the 2011 flood of record – or 27,400 cubic feet per second.
"All in the flood project in the Minot area, which goes from Burlington all the way to Velva," said Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND). "You're looking at $820 million."
Hoeven joined the state and local officials at a meeting with the Corps in Bismarck.
"If you lok at it, it's a bunch of independent projects," said Hoeven. "What we're trying to do is get permits from the Corps to start as many of those projects as soon as we can, and get more flood protection in place sooner."
"We haven't started on the designing yet," said Minot city public works director Dan Jonasson. "We need to get these items ironed out as to how much environmental work we need to do to meet the permitting requirements."
Jonasson says the tentative plans include permanent dikes, floodwalls and a diversion canal.
Hoeven says the International Joint Commission has also authorized a study of the Souris basin – and to work on the “international agreement.”
"That's the agreement that manages the flows on the Souris River coming out of Rafferty and Aalameda Reservoirs," said Hoeven. "The other part is looking at Lake Darling to see if there is more storage that could be developed there."
The Rafferty and Alameda reservoirs are in Canada -- Lake Darling is northwest of Minot.
Hoeven says he expects the federal government will pick up half the cost of the overall project.
