Diversion Authority Will Submit New Permit Application To MN DNR
Representatives from the Diversion Authority will be presenting the updated project to various cities, counties, townships, and watershed districts in the upcoming days and weeks.
FARGO (KFGO) – The F-M Diversion Board of Authority says it will submit a new permit application to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
“We are ready to submit to the DNR a new proposal for a comprehensive flood protection for our region.” said Board Chair and Mayor of Moorhead Del Rae Williams. The project outlined in the new permit application incorporates all the changes recommended by the Task Force formed by Governor Dayton and Governor Burgum.
“This project and permit application were not developed in a vacuum. Thanks is due to the thousands of individuals who have taken part in public meetings, public comment periods, individual meetings, phone calls, emails, to the Governors’ Task Force, and yes even to the legal court system. All of this feedback is essential to the process,” Board Chair and Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams said. “Our main goal is flood protection for the Fargo and Moorhead region.”
Notable changes include allowing an additional 2-feet of water through Fargo-Moorhead during a 100-year flood, incorporating a tie-back levee in Minnesota on the east side of the southern embankment, revising the western tie-back levee, changing the location of the Southern Embankment
The Diversion Authority says the total acres protected include 47,145 acres (81%) in North Dakota and 10,992 (19%) in Minnesota. The total acres impacted include 30,485 (84%) in North Dakota and 5,840 (16%) in Minnesota.
“There will still be impacts from the project, but the impacts upstream are considerably less and will happen less frequently with the new proposal,” Williams said. “We have also made strides on the process to identify the proper compensation for those areas where sacrifices are still being made and expect to have more results later this year from an ongoing study on Flowage Easements.”
Representatives from the Diversion Authority will be presenting the updated project to various cities, counties, townships, and watershed districts in the upcoming days and weeks.
