Local leaders explain support for a North Dakota diversion to federal officials

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Flood talks

Local leaders are pleading with federal officials tonight to support a North Dakota diversion, despite the Army Corps of Engineers preferred plan in Minnesota. This comes as a key decision-maker visits the metro to tour the diversion space and learn more about our flood problems.

Jo-Ellen Darcy is the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. She's basically the manager for the Corps. Darcy oversees all Corps projects, like the diversion. At a meeting tonight, she heard why the Metro Flood Study Work Group wants the diversion in North Dakota.

"The point was made today and I think I heard it loud and clear that the locally preferred plan is one that everyone is united behind and when I get back to Washington, I'll be seeing it on my desk and it'll be something we can all support."

She says the fact that people in 2 counties and 2 cities from different states all agree on 1 plan is remarkable and is just one of the reasons this process is moving so quickly.

"For the Corps of Engineers, the study process for this project, we've cut in half the time and part of that is with the urgency in the community."

Darcy says the corps will now do more hydrologic studies to see if they can get an NED plan closer to the preferred option. That would help cut down on local and state costs. Whatever the outcome, leaders seem convinced the project will stay on pace.

"The payback here is over a long period of time. You're creating benefit that's going to last a century so I don't think there's much of a case made by anybody not to do this. This has to be done."

The federally preferred plan now is the Minnesota 20k diversion. If it goes higher, the federal government will pay more for the project.

Darcy will tour the valley with the Corps tomorrow. After the meeting tonight, Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker gave her a tour around the city's low areas.

The leaders drove by Oak Grove's new flood wall and stopped next to the VA hospital to see a new flood wall there. Walaker says since he's been fighting floods, Fargo has spent every penny they've received for mitigation, flood walls and other flood protection infrastructure.

The millions of dollars spent is why this year's flood for some people was much easier than other flood fights.

“We’re going to continue to try and continue to improve our flood profile and that's to raise it up so we have fewer areas. We're getting tired of sandbags too and I’m sure the public is just as sick of them as we are.”

Walaker says even without the VA flood wall, the city has spent 75 million dollars for protection since 1997.

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