The following is a description of the 1979 in a U.S. Geological Survey
Water-Supply Paper published in 1991.
One of the most noteworthy floods in North Dakota occurred during April
1979. The Red River of the North, which forms the boundary between
North Dakota and Minnesota, inundated more than 1 million acres of valuable
farmland and caused damage of about $114 million.
The peak discharge of 82,000 ft3/s on April 23 at Grand Forks
had a recurrence interval greater than 50 years; that discharge was exceeded
only during the flood of 1897 [the
1979 discharge has since been exceeded by the 1997 flood]. Several
peak discharges established new records on major tributaries to the Red
River of the North, including the Sheyenne and Good Rivers. On
the Goose River at Hillsboro, the peak discharge on April 21 was 14,800 ft3/s,
which has a recurrence interval greater than 100 years.
The principal factors that probably contributed to the flood were (1)
intense precipitation during late winter, especially in upstream parts of
the basin, and continuation of this precipitation into late April and early
May; and (2) lower than normal temperatures during the winter of 1978-79,
with a subsequent delay of spring snowmelt until mid-April, followed by a
sudden increase in temperature that caused rapid melting.
Ryan, G.L., 1991, North
Dakota floods and droughts: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper
2375, p. 435-442.
Links to Additional Images of Red River of the North Flooding
Floodtracking Charts
North Dakota State University Fargo Flood Homepage
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Flood Reconnaissance Photographs
USGS Flood Related Publications
North Dakota Water Resources Images
U.S. Geological Survey at Work Images
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![Overflow around bridge of Red River of the North near Halstad, Minnesota](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509052517im_/http://nd.water.usgs.gov/photos/images/1979flood/halstad_small.jpg)
Overflow around bridge of Red River of the North near
Halstad, MN
April 26, 1979
![Overflow of Red River of the North in field along river, just below bridge near Halstad, MN](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509052517im_/http://nd.water.usgs.gov/photos/images/1979flood/halstad2_small.jpg)
Overflow of Red River of the North in field along river,
just below bridge near Halstad, MN
April 26, 1979
![Red River of the North at Drayton, spring 1979](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509052517im_/http://nd.water.usgs.gov/photos/images/1979flood/drayton_small.jpg)
Red River of the North at Drayton
Spring 1979
![Red River at Drayton of the North at Drayton](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509052517im_/http://nd.water.usgs.gov/photos/images/1979flood/drayton2_small.jpg)
Red River at Drayton of the North at Drayton
Looking from bridge west
Spring 1979
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