DORGAN HOLDS MEETING ON THE RISING WATERS IN DEVILS LAKE

Congressional Delegation, Governor, local and federal officials prepare for rising waters

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or  Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551

(DEVILS LAKE, N.D.) – North Dakota’s Congressional Delegation, the Governor, local and tribal leaders, and federal agency officials discussed Devils Lake flooding here today at a meeting called by U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan. Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, the U.S. Geographical Survey, Department of Transportation, and FEMA joined to discuss their actions to prepare for the rising waters of Devils Lake.

As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Dorgan oversees the nation’s water development programs. This meeting served as a follow-up to the February 11 hearing he chaired on the rising water in Devils Lake in Washington, D.C.

The National Weather Service is predicting more than a 99 percent probability of the lake exceeding the previous record stage of 1449.2 feet this year. This will leave the lake at an all-time high and create flooding risks for the Spirit Lake Reservation and the City of Devils Lake.

“Devils Lake is rising to unprecedented levels, and we must do everything we can to protect the people of Devils Lake, the Spirit Lake Nation, and surrounding communities,” said Dorgan. “I called this meeting to determine what plans are in place to address the rising waters this year, as well as discuss what needs to be done on a local and federal level to address rising lake waters in the years to come.”

“We’ve had a wet winter all across the state, and we’ve seen the damage flooding has done to other communities,” added Dorgan. “We need to be prepared to address the levee protection, the roads and all of the other problems that will be caused by the rising lake level.”

“With Devils Lake expected to rise to record levels we must do everything we can -- we must pull out all the stops -- to protect the city and surrounding areas from the rising waters. That is why we have the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers and others with us here today. It is going to take a complete team effort to battle back floodwaters and protect this community,” said Senator Conrad.

“This winter’s record storms have brought unprecedented flooding all across North Dakota, and nowhere is that more evident than in Devils Lake,” Congressman Pomeroy said. “It’s going to take a coordinated effort at the local, state and federal level to fight back the lake’s rising waters, and we are all committed to doing what’s necessary to protect the residents of Devils Lake and the surrounding communities.”
In addition to discussing preparations for flooding this spring, the delegation also updated the attendees on their work in Congress to secure funding to address the rising water levels in Devils Lake. They recently met with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to request that he release $40 million in emergency relief funds that were authorized in a recent transportation bill for raising the roads serving as dams in the Devils Lake region.

Dorgan and the delegation were also able to secure $1.6 million in the FY09 omnibus appropriations bill to complete the Devils Lake emergency water supply project, bringing the total federal funding for the project to $9.2 million. The current water transmission line is covered by the rising waters of Devils Lake, and a failure would leave the city without a water supply. The City of Devils Lake has used this funding to indentify and start work on a new water source that will meet current and future drinking water needs.

—END—