Water Resources Development from a Congressional Viewpoint

The Devils Lake basin in North Dakota is experiencing an wet climatic cycle and rapidly rising lake levels. The basin is a closed basin within the Sheyenne River drainage area, a tributary to the Hudson Bay in Canada. The rising lake levels have caused flooding problems in several towns and in tribal Indian and rural areas. Some remedies costing up to $300 m have been attempted by raising highways, sewer systems and other infrastructure. However flooding continues with significant damages occurring. The solution to the problem is the construction of a pumped outlet to the Sheyenne River. This paper will discuss some of the details required to build partnerships between federal, state and local government agencies and officials. The authorities provided by various public laws and the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 provide a background for the network of institutional agreements and working arrangements needed to build the outlet. Multi-disciplinary teams including engineers, environmentalists, fish and wildlife biologists, economists, nonprofit interest groups and others have been required throughout the projects' planning and design phases. Specific issues relating to the interaction between Congress and the Executive Branch agencies will be discussed. The paper concludes with an update on the status of the project including a briefing on what has worked and what hasn't worked. An update on estimated costs will also be provided.