The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mountain-Prairie Region is actively responding to flooding in the East River regions of North Dakota and South Dakota, including the James, Red, and Souris River Basins. Significant late season rainfall, which saturated the soil, and subsequent above normal snowpack have created the potential for severe flooding in these areas, and the National Weather Service is predicting additional precipitation for the region in the near future. In response to current and potential flooding, the Service has activated a regional incident management team to manage the Service's flood response operations, which are focused on (a) impacts to Service lands and facilities, such as units of the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System; and, (b) assisting local, state, and federal emergency response efforts through deployment of Service resources ranging from boats, heavy equipment, aircraft, law enforcement personnel, and other emergency and technical resources. This approach is designed to both safeguard Service trust resources and the infrastructure that supports those resources and to protect human health and safety in a flood scenario.

The Service is currently coordinating response efforts on the ground with federal, state and local emergency response authorities. The Service has significant experience responding to natural disasters such as wildfire and hurricanes and is applying that experience throughout the impact area to deliver safe, effective flood response operations.

For additional information, please contact:

Matt Kales, Office of External Affairs
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region
(303) 236-4576
matt_kales@fws.gov

Sherry James (FWS PIO on site in North Dakota)
(701) 318-1987
shergerjames@msn.com

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