North Dakota Governor, Doug Burgum, emphasized the importance of timely completion of flood protection projects for the Fargo and Minot areas during an update from top regional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials at the Capitol in Bismarck earlier this week.
Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser, commander of the Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division; Col. Sam Calkins, commander of the St. Paul District; and other officials from the Corps of Engineers and State Water Commission briefed the governor on the status of the Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion Project and Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project in Minot.
“ We’re pleased to hear the Corps of Engineers is making good progress on the environmental review for the F-M Diversion and that they remain hopeful a permit will be issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in October or November ,” Burgum said.
“Timely completion of comprehensive flood protection for the F-M area is essential for the long-term safety, prosperity and growth of the region and to ensure the metro continues to thrive as a vital economic engine for North Dakota and western Minnesota. We’re also encouraged by the Corps’ ongoing efforts to explore potential federal participation in the Mouse River project, which is key to protecting Minot from the type of devastating flooding the city endured in 2011.”
The F-M Diversion Board of Authority submitted a new permit application for the diversion project in March after accepting the recommendations of the F-M Area Flood Diversion Task Force formed by Burgum and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton.
In late March, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford joined Minot area officials to break ground on the first three phases of the Mouse River project.