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Last Revised: 7-31-2008
Devils Lake has steadily risen 26 feet in elevation over the past 13 years and continues to rise. Its current elevation is about 1448 feet and the lake began outletting into Stump Lake at 1446 feet. This rise in water level has caused flooding to property and communities as well as transportation systems throughout the area. Water levels in Devils and Stump Lakes are anticipated to continue to rise over the next decade, flooding more property, communities, and transportation systems until the water level reaches 1459 feet at which time the water begins to flow into the Sheyenne River.
Currently some roads are functioning as dams, protecting interior roads, property and homes, even though the roads were not designed and constructed to act as dams. Corrective measures have been identified to reinforce these roads so that they safely function and meet dam safety standards. However, up until recently, there has been no funding mechanism to pay for these measures. In the recently passed (2005) transportation bill, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act. A Legacy for Users funds were earmarked for the continuation of roadway services or the impoundment of water to protect roads, or both, at Devils Lake. The partners are: Spirit Lake Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, and the North Dakota and Central Federal Land Divisions of the Federal Highway Administration.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The revised Environmental Assessment and FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) files listed as supplemental documents below are large documents. If you are using a slow internet connection, we recommend you right click on the file name and choose "save target as" and choose a directory on your computer to save the files. You will then be able to view the information at your convience without having to be connected to the internet.
Project Details:
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Spirit Lake Reservation |
A proposed long term project involving the design and construction of permanent roadway access for the St. Michael’s and Acorn Ridge areas. |
In Development |
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Planning Phase for Roads-Acting-as-Dams Project Complete—
Design and Construction to Begin
The Devils Lake Roads-Acting-as-Dams Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact documents were signed today in a ceremony at the Spirit Lake Casino, near Devils Lake, North Dakota. The documents and statements of support were signed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Spirit Lake Nation (SLN), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT).
As Devils Lake has risen over the past several years, culverts were plugged in some roads to protect homes and land. However, since the roads were not designed to act as dams, this resulted in potentially unsafe structures. The purpose of this project is to address safety concerns associated with Roads-Acting-as-Dams to maintain a safe transportation network in the Devils Lake area.
This is a complex project, involving coordination between the above agencies, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and various State, County, and resource and regulatory agencies. This diverse group was able to come together to deliver a highly complex EA in only 20 months—10 months under the national average.
The EA process involved several components, including agreeing upon the project purpose and need, outlining potential alternatives, conducting socio-economic and environmental studies, and analysis of potential impacts. The project delivery team expressed pride in the project progress and thanked everyone for contributing and being willing to compromise to make this happen.
The preferred alternatives selected were Alternatives 1A, 2D, 3A, and 4B. This includes both building roads to function safely as dams, and perimeter dams connecting high ground outside of the road network. These alternatives will protect all roads identified in the project, and will provide additional protection to homes and lands, including SLN lands and resources and North Dakota’s Camp Grafton Army National Reserve training facility. Construction will occur in stages, beginning in 2009. The first stage will construct all structures to an elevation of 1455 feet, at an estimated cost of $120M.
Initial funding for the project comes from the US Department of Transportation funding bill, SAFETEA-LU, passed in 2005. In Section 1937 of the bill, Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to use a total of $70M to resolve the Roads-Acting-as-Dams issue for the continuation of roadway services. Other funding may come from the ERFO (Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads) program. Multiple funding sources further reiterates the cooperative effort to meet the project purpose and need.
With today’s milestone reached, the project can move on to the next steps. These include final design, acquisition of right-of-way, and design of mitigation measures. Residents should see construction beginning next summer.
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Planning and Design Contact Information:
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Gary Strike
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Central Federal Lands Highway Division
Attn: Gary Strike
12300 West Dakota Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80228
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(720) 963-3464 |
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720.963.3596 |
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Gary.Strike@fhwa.dot.gov
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Project Photos:
View photos of the project site.
Map of Project Location:
View a detailed area map of the project location.
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