Plans for a Fargo-Moorhead diversion continue on the fast track, but including Oxbow within its protection appears very unlikely.
Local leaders will decide whether to stick with a North Dakota-side diversion after March 30, when they get an updated environmental impact statement and data on the extent of upstream impacts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
That data will also include a look at the costs and impacts of moving the 36-mile diversion alignment farther south to include cities such as Oxbow and Hickson, located about 15 miles south of Fargo.
But the results don't appear promising, corps project manager Aaron Snyder said during Thursday's Metro Flood Study Work Group meeting in Fargo.
"We don't think from an expert opinion that will work," Snyder said. "But we have been surprised before."
ADVERTISEMENT
The news didn't sit well with Oxbow Mayor Jim Nyhof, who was hoping the southern alignment would be given a better chance.
Nyhof said his city is going to have to take a look at whether they are still comfortable with the project.
"We've supported the diversion so far," he said. "Do we want to continue to support it?"
The plan as presented Thursday would require 5 to 8 feet of staging, meaning Red River water would be held south of the diversion channel during large flood events. In addition, a single storage cell would retain water in a holding pond inside the diversion path.
Those two features combined should virtually eliminate downstream impacts, Snyder said.
Staging would mean Oxbow would receive about 3 to 4 feet of additional water during a 100-year flood, which would be 42.4 feet in Fargo. Fargo reached a record 40.84 feet in 2009.
The extra water in Oxbow would definitely mean some buyouts, Snyder said.
The project's design phase is set to begin in August, when the St. Paul corps district finishes the draft study.
ADVERTISEMENT
The cost for a year of design work is expected to be about $30 million, half coming from the federal government and the other $15 million from the local sponsors.
A permanent solution is key in eliminating local communities' yearly dash for temporary flood preparations, Sen. John Hoeven told local officials earlier Thursday.
"We want to see a permanent project here so that we're not in this situation every year," he said.
Local flood preparations started when the National Weather Service began releasing outlooks predicting a third-straight year of record flooding.
Hoeven also said contingency plans for emergency measures should be in place with the looming threat of a March 4 government shutdown because of a federal budget impasse.
Rep. Rick Berg echoed that sentiment.
"There is no intention from my perspective to have that impact the emergency work that needs to be done," Berg said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heidi Shaffer at (701) 241-5511
