Flood Control Sites, North Dakota: Lake Ashtabula, Homme Lake, Souris River

Homme Lake and Lake Ashtabula are multipurpose sites with flood risk management, recreation, and environmental stewardship business functions. The Souris River Project is used for flood control and mitigation activities and is operated in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Section 408: Souris (Mouse) River Basin, North Dakota

Following the 2011 flood of record event, North Dakota developed a preliminary engineering report that evaluated alternatives to mitigate flood risks throughout the Souris (Mouse) River Basin. The report recommended a flood risk management project that would provide protection up to the 2011 flood of record levels, or approximately 27,400 cubic feet per second.

Souris River Basin, North Dakota

In the mid-1970s, a series of major flood events occurred in North Dakota. To protect communities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a series of emergency levees under Public Law 84-99. These levees were later incorporated into a federal project. Since then, the emergency levees have undergone limited maintenance and experienced structural encroachments; however, these levees remain the primary line of defense for major flood events. While the emergency levees have provided some protection against major flood events, a permanent solution is needed to reduce the flood risk to critical North Dakota communities.