21 Apr 2025

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.