Officials talk impact of Devils Lake draining

Talk about it

WEST FARGO – Local, state and federal leaders touted cooperation among government agencies when dealing with the effects of Devils Lake outlet water on downstream communities in the Sheyenne River basin.

North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan hosted a field hearing for the Energy and Water Subcommittee, which he chairs, and brought the government leaders together to discuss the issues stemming from Devils Lake.

Devils Lake area leaders said they have no option but to drain water using an outlet in the Sheyenne River basin, but that action concerns downstream areas because of potentially higher water levels and possible reduced water quality.

“I strongly believe we should not transfer problems from one part of our state to another,” Dorgan said in a statement. “There are a lot of concerns from communities downstream of the Devils Lake outlet about the potential effects of higher pollution levels, and we need to fully examine and understand those issues.”

Gov. John Hoeven, Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker, Devils Lake Mayor Fred Bott, state health officials, Valley City leaders and residents and other experts were among those who testified during the hearing.

For more on this story, pick up Saturday’s edition of The Forum.

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