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Plans are being made by state officials in North Dakota to proper Devils Lake for record flooding during the approaching and expected rains. Included in this is the expansion of the dikes surrounding the lake. But an estimate by federal officials is that it would cost about $78 million dollars to add 5 feet to the dike that protects Devils Lake. Others are estimating that the cost could rise to as high as over $100 million dollars. In the past the cost of such construction projects has been shared between both the federal and local governments.

Devils Lake Mayor Fred Bott says that this large amount of funding would be very difficult to achieve solely at the local level.

St. Paul District’s Army Corp of Engineers district commander Col. Jon Christensen, says that it could take up to two to three years to actually raise the dike embankments the desired amount, and he stressed the importance of commencing construction immediately.
One of the things that Col. Christensen said he was concerned about was how a possible flooding might affect the Spirit Lake Nation, which borders the lake. Meanwhile temporary emergency levees have been constructed and beginning next summer, it is expected that more permanent construction will begin designed for a more definite solution to the problem.

Col. Christensen warns however, that there may be an inordinate rise of the lake as early as this spring before the permanent projects are in place.

At the present time in Fargo, Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker announced that the Red River is at 15.06 feet. He added that the flood stage is 18 feet and if the river were to rise to a level of 31 feet, the city would need to immediately construct an earthen dike in order to protect City Hall.

Mayor Walaker added that if the river were to reach above 34 feet, the main question is where is it going to end up? Walaker says that this is the big question, and adds that preparations are underway for the possible approaching spring flooding.

According to Walaker, in order to prepare for the possible flooding, city officials are meeting regularly.

Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, of North Dakota said that the economic stimulus plan that is presently being reviewed by congressional negotiators has within it about $4.4 billion to be allocated to the Army Corp of Engineers, a portion of which would be used to help to deal with possible flooding in the area.

Although there are no specific earmarks in the bill with regard to funding levels, Dorgan says that the need to prepare the state for flooding is clearly a project that would take precedence during the next 30 days requiring that the Corps of Engineers move dirt and do the things necessary to prepare for floods.

Several public meetings have already been held in the Devils Lake region and Col. Christensen said a flood coordination meeting is being planned to take place in Fargo on Feb. 25th.