The Red River Basin Commission (RRBC) is coordinating a retention tour and hosting a series of public meetings throughout the Red River Basin as part of a Long Term Flood Solutions project.
The retention tour will provide an opportunity for public officials, decision makers, agricultural producers, interested citizens and the media to tour operating and proposed water retention projects throughout the southern end of the Red River Basin and to see the impact such projects can have on reducing flood stages on the mainstem Red River.
The purpose of these public meetings is to present a preliminary look at the RRBC Long Term Flood Solutions findings and obtain public feedback, which will be presented to legislators in June. The report consists of recommendations to policy makers that will present numerous solutions to mitigate the effects of flooding, including water storage, permitting streamlining, flood plain management reforms, identification of immediate protection projects and development of funding mechanisms.
RRBC Long Term Flood Solutions (LTFS) Public Meetings
The first public meeting will be Monday, April 25, 20011, in Lisbon, ND. Other public meetings are scheduled in Grafton and Harwood, ND; Breckenridge, Halstad, and Oslo, MN; Sisseton, SD and Morris, MB. You are invited to attend any of these meetings. The complete schedule of public meetings can be found on the RRBC website, www.redriverbasincommission.org.
The Red River basin floodwaters of 2009 barely receded as regional state lawmakers from Minnesota and North Dakota sponsored legislation with a combined $1 million appropriation and a corresponding directive for the Red River Basin Commission to work with stakeholders and residents on developing a comprehensive plan to address flooding in the Red River basin.
RRBC began with engaging the public in mid-2009 to solicit their experiences with flooding, identify challenges to progress, and seek suggestions for tools and potential solutions. RRBC hosted 21 public meetings throughout the basin, with 1,000 attendees. The RRBC plans to present their initial findings to allow attendees another opportunity for input into the project.
RRBC Retention Tour
The tour is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Buses will leave from the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo, ND, promptly at 10:00am. The tour may be postponed in the event weather and/or road conditions do not allow for safe and adequate access to tour sites.
The tour is free and open to the public. To ensure there are enough buses and lunches, an RSVP is required by April 22. Please contact RRBC at (218) 291-0422 or email jacque@redriverbasincommission.org.
The tour will begin in the eastern portion of the basin with stops in the Buffalo-Red River watershed and then head south to Wendell, MN to view the North Ottawa Impoundment Project, a Bois de Sioux Watershed District flood control and natural resource enhancement project near the headwaters of the Red River. Other stops include the White Rock Dam in Traverse County, MN; sites in Roberts County, SD; retention opportunities in the Wild Rice and Antelope Creek watersheds in ND; and the Maple River Dam near Enderlin, ND. For a complete tour agenda please visit the RRBC website www.redriverbasincommission.org.
