Lake Agassiz Water Authority

The Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) of 2000 authorized the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP) in order to meet the comprehensive water quality and quantity needs of the Red River Valley. Lake Agassiz Water Authority (LAWA) acts as a cooperating agency on the RRVWSP.

The Need

A reliable supply of quality water is vital to the prosperity and survival of Red River Valley communities. If a 1930s-type drought occurred in the Red River Valley today, the valley would be short water every year, with the worth monthly water shortage as high as 46%. That number nearly doubles when the shortage is estimated for the year 2050. As populations of the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area and other cities along the river climb, it is clear that the devastation incurred today from a 1930s-type drought would leave many in the Red River Valley without a stable source of quality water.

Researchers say it is only a matter of time before the Red River Valley suffers another drought much like the one that occurred in the 1930s. Hydrologic computer modeling was used to estimate possible drought effects in the Valley. Modeled after the area’s 1931 to 1941 drought, projected consequences of a 1930s-type drought today depict devastating water shortages.

Many communities in the Red River Valley depend on the Red River as their primary water source, and for many towns and cities, the Red River serves as their sole source of water. Lack of sufficient flow in the Red River has happened in the past and is likely to occur again.

North Dakota’s Preferred Alternative

The GDU Import to the Sheyenne River Alternative was chosen as the preferred alternative by LAWA, Garrison Diversion and the North Dakota State Water Commission in October, 2005. LAWA, Garrison Diversion and the SWC reviewed approximately 40 studies before voting to determine their favored option. Governor Hoeven selected the GDU Import to Sheyenne River Alternative as the State of North Dakota’s preferred alternvative.

A main benefit of the GDU Import to the Sheyenne River Alternative is its ability to meet the water needs of the Red River Valley now and in the future. This option also provides the core infrastructure for all water systems in the Valley, therefore offering the flexiblity of future expansion. The preferred alternative also harbors no significant negative envrionmental impacts. In fact, LAWA’s preferred alternative provides multiple benefits to the environment.

The GDU Import to the Sheyenne River Alternative would divert treated Missouri River water eastward from the McClusky Canal via a buried pipeline to Lake Ashtabula, which would act as a regulating reservoir. From there, water would be released into the Sheyenne River and flow into the Red River, supplying water systems in the Valley with a reliable supply of drinking water. The alternative includes a water treatment plant at the McClusky Canal.

The Road to Construction

In order to begin construction on the RRVWSP, the project must first go through several stages. DWRA mandates that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be prepared, evaluting proposed alternatives and the project’s impact on the region’s environment. Garrison Diversion and Reclamation act as co-leads in developing the EIS. The Draft EIS was released in December 2005, a Supplemental Draft EIS was released in January 2007 and the Final EIS was released in December 2007.

For more information about the RRVWSP go to www.rrvwsp.com

LAWA will continue to support the RRVWSP and aid in the realization of this project for the survival of the Red River Valley communities.