U.S. Water News Online
BISMARCK, N.D. -- Initial financing for a huge project to deliver Missouri River water to North Dakota's Red River Valley now has the state Legislature's final approval.
The North Dakota House voted 92-0 to endorse legislation that includes $100 million for the project, which is expected to cost more than $700 million. It now goes to Gov. John Hoeven for his signature.
The bill gives the state Water Commission authority to issue up to $40 million worth of bonds for the Red River Valley Water Supply initiative. It says the Legislature will be expected to set aside another $60 million in state funds over the next six years.
The proposed spending does not affect North Dakota's next state budget, which the Legislature is now drafting.
"This bill is one piece of the puzzle that's been worked on for decades," said Rep. Rick Berg, R-Fargo, the House majority leader. "We're making choices for the long-term future of our state ... This bill, obviously, is great news for the state of North Dakota, and it moves our water projects forward."
Rep. Dawn Charging, R-Garrison, wondered whether the Missouri River would be able to deliver the water that eastern North Dakota expects.
Charging's legislative district includes Lake Sakakawea, the river's largest reservoir -- which has shrunk under years of drought -- and the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, where tribal leaders have expressed misgivings about the project. Some communities that already rely on Missouri water are scrambling to ensure they don't run dry.
"There is no certainty of what's going to happen with the Missouri River in the next 10 years," Charging said. "We're looking at $700 million to take water east, when yet, in a time of need and concern, we're unable to set forth what is needed to ensure that the people of the Missouri River today have the necessary water that they need."
Developers of the project are exploring the best way to supply more water for Fargo, Grand Forks and other Red River Valley communities. Fargo relies primarily on the Red River for its water supply. During the drought-stricken 1930s, the river almost dried up.
A study is under way to evaluate the environmental effects of six proposed water supply alternatives. The federal Bureau of Reclamation, which is preparing an environmental impact statement on the project, said it had set a new April 25 deadline for public comment on the alternatives.
North Dakota state officials favor an alternative that would pipe Missouri River water from the McClusky Canal, in central North Dakota, to Lake Ashtabula, north of Valley City.
A water treatment plant would be built at the canal, and the lake would be used to regulate water flows into the Sheyenne River, which is a tributary of the Red River.
Return to the U.S. Water News Archives page Or Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
Editor@uswaternews.com
*Your Name:
*Your Email:
*Friend's Email:
Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses:
*Your Comments:
Hi, I thought you might like to read this article.
*Required Fields