Flood diversion options unsettled
Fargo-Moorhead area leaders failed to pin down an Army Corps of Engineers general Thursday on what direction they should go to get the best deal on a Red River flood diversion project and get it approved by Congress.By: Helmut Schmidt, INFORUM
Fargo-Moorhead area leaders failed to pin down an Army Corps of Engineers general Thursday on what direction they should go to get the best deal on a Red River flood diversion project and get it approved by Congress.
Several members of the Metro Flood Study Work Group also told Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh they were frustrated that a much smaller Minnesota diversion appears on track to be named best deal for the nation, even while it doesn’t offer protection area residents say is vital.
“We clearly had to give him the message that it’s simply not good enough for us. It does not meet the protection levels that Fargo-Moorhead needs,” said Clay County Commission Chairman Kevin Campbell.
Campbell said he and other group members wanted Walsh to tell them how likely it would be for the corps to approve the Minnesota and North Dakota diversion plans still considered in play.
A 20,000-cubic-feet-per-second diversion through Minnesota is seen as the plan that provides the greatest economic benefits to the nation at the lowest cost. It would be eligible for 65 percent federal funding if approved.
Corps project managers have said they’d push for getting the same funding for a 35,000-cubic-feet-per-second diversion in Minnesota.
But they won’t push for a similar size diversion in North Dakota because of environmental and engineering problems.
Campbell said full funding for the larger Minnesota project makes it much more attractive. But if it doesn’t get 65 percent funding, the costs are much closer to the North Dakota channel.
Walsh, the commander of the corps’ Mississippi Valley division, refused to put a percentage on any plan’s chances of getting his approval.
“But I’ve submitted dozens of plans where the locally preferred plan was the one approved by Congress,” he said later.
Corps project co-manager Aaron Snyder said talks are continuing with Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad over the Dilworth railyard.
Snyder said the railroad thinks the cost of moving the yard south because of a diversion would be $100 million to $200 million. Snyder said a corps contractor put the cost closer to $75 million.
BNSF officials said they also don’t believe pollution concerns are high for the yard because it hasn’t been used for fueling, maintenance or cleaning.
Walsh said the area won’t receive less attention this year during flooding.
He said the St. Paul District of the corps has “3 million sandbags, a couple hundred rolls of poly fabric, 30 pumps” and levee engineers have been out to talk to communities.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Helmut Schmidt at (701) 241-5583
Tags: north dakota, minnesota, news, floodfargo, moorhead, communities, diversion, dilworth, flood
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