Harmon Lake Recreation Area

The new Harmon Lake Recreation Area and Dam on Otter Creek, eight miles north of Mandan on Hwy 1806, is open for public use well ahead of schedule. Above average runoff earlier this spring filled the 145-acre reservoir in just over a week, in what was expected to take a few years. Currently the planned bathhouses, picnic shelters, playgrounds, horse facilities, and hiking trails are not completed. But the lake is officially opened for public use, with limited primitive camping and picnic areas. For the full story, download a PDF of the September 2009 issue of The Oxbow.

A dedication and ribbon ceremony were held at the recreation area on August 20. Several dignitaries, including Senator Kent Conrad, and Governor John Hoeven; government agency officials; and others who were instrumental in getting Harmon Lake completed were in attendance. The Missouri River Joint Water Resource Board presented a lifetime "Riverman" achievement award to Andy Mork, a former water board member, and decades-long supporter of the project. Congratulations to Andy and everyone else who worked tirelessly to see that Harmon Lake became a reality.

The North Dakota State Water Commission will hold a conference call meeting on Tuesday, September 1 at 11:30 am. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the agenda, send an e-mail to Sharon Locken at slocken@nd.gov, call 701-328-4940, or click on the link below to download a PDF file.

September 1, 2009 Meeting Agenda (712 kb)

The ND State Engineer held a public hearing on August 20 to address proposed new rules and amendment of current rules to NDAC Articles 89-03 and 89-10, concerning rural domestic water use and sovereign lands. PDF files of the official hearing notice and the proposed rules are available by clicking on the link here. Or, you may request a copy by writing to the State Water Commission, by calling 701-328-4941, or by e-mail: rpedersen@nd.gov Written or oral comments on the proposed rules will be considered, if received by September 1.

Temporary levee along 2nd St. in Fargo, Spring 2009.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a study that is getting plenty of attention. The Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Feasibility Study will look at permanent flood control solutions for these two communities, and for the surrounding area. The urban areas along the Red, Wild Rice, Buffalo, and Sheyenne Rivers have a long history of facing flood-related risks. The Corps estimates that average annual flood damages in the study area are currently at over $64 million. If Fargo and Moorhead were to experience a catastrophic failure with their current flood protection during a 100-year flood, damages could exceed $2 billion. For the full story, download a PDF of the July 2009 issue of The Oxbow.

SWMP

The Water Commission recently completed a new 2009 North Dakota State Water Management Plan (SWMP). The overall purpose of the new SWMP is to: provide information regarding current and projected water use; identify areas where water is generally available for new beneficial uses; identify goals and objectives for water resource management and development; identify potential water resource management and development projects and programs; provide current information regarding the Water Commission's revenue sources for water project development; serve as a formal request for funding from the Resources Trust Fund; and broadly identify water resource management and development opportunities and challenges, and provide recommendations to address them.

To download a copy of the State Water Management Plan or the Executive Summary, click here. To request a hard copy of the SWMP, call (701) 328-4989, or e-mail dschock@nd.gov.

2009-2011 Strategic Plan

The 2009-2011 State Water Commission and Office of the State Engineer Strategic Plan has been completed. The new Strategic Plan contains descriptions and overviews of the agency's major projects and programs. To develop the 2009-2011 Strategic Plan, project and program managers were asked to provide input regarding their expectations for future progress through June 30, 2011. As part of that effort, they were asked to provide project and/or program objectives that they will strive to accomplish during the strategic planning timeframe, as well as specific tasks that will be completed to achieve their objectives.

To request a hard copy of the plan, call (701) 328-4989, or e-mail dschock@nd.gov. Click here to download a PDF of the plan.

Fort Stevenson State Park on Lake Sakakawea

For the latest Missouri River main stem reservoir forecast information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, click here.

The draft 2008-09 Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River has been released by the Army Corps of Engineers for public comment. The plan presents information on the anticipated regulation of the Missouri River main stem reservoir system for 2009 and the remainder of 2008. The draft 2008-09 Plan with a detailed description of the spring pulses is available on the "Reports and Publications" section of the Corps' Water Management website.

The Missouri River Basin

The Missouri River basin states and tribes have formed a new organization, to be used as a forum for dialogue on Missouri River basin issues. The Missouri River Association of States and Tribes (MoRAST) is a regional interstate organization formed by joint resolution of the governors of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, and the Intertribal Water Rights Coalition. People interested in monitoring the activities of this organization can visit their website at www.mo-rast.org. Presentation materials from previous meetings are available and should prove informative concerning key issues facing the basin.

A flowing well in western North Dakota.

The Fox Hills-Hell Creek aquifer is a vital source of water for livestock, domestic, municipal, and industrial uses in western North Dakota. The aquifer is artesian, which allows wells in low-lying areas to flow. The pressure in the aquifer is declining at an average rate of approximately one foot per year. If the current trend continues, a majority of the flowing wells installed in the aquifer will stop flowing within the next 60-90 years.

On a ten-year frequency, the State Water Commission monitors flowing well pressure changes in the aquifer and publishes the results in three reports. In association with each report, brochures titled: Flowing Well Pressure Changes in 1) Billings, Golden Valley, and Slope Counties, 2) McKenzie County, and 3) the Knife River Basin were recently published.

The pressure in the Fox Hills-Hell Creek aquifer may be declining at a rate greater than is necessary. Conservation of the pressure is essential for maximizing the life of the flowing wells. Procedures to minimize pressure decline are described in the brochures.

To download a brochure, click here: Flowing Well Brochures. To download a report, click on Water Resource Investigations and choose WRI No 42, WRI No 43, or WRI No 44. For more information or to request brochures, contact Rex Honeyman, SWC Hydrologist, at 701-328-2754 or by e-mail at rhoneyman@nd.gov.