ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, in cooperation with the Flood Diversion Board of Authority, announced yesterday, Nov. 8, the final diversion channel alignment for the proposed Fargo, N.D./Moorhead, Minn., Flood Risk Management Project.
The Corps of Engineers revised the diversion channel alignment and associated features since publishing its Final Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS. The changes resulted in significant cost savings, reducing the number of impacted residential structures, reduced impacts to Richland and Wilkin counties and increased efficiency and operation of the diversion channel.
Changes were made to the western alignment, south of the Maple River to the Sheyenne River and the southern alignment. The western alignment change resulted in moving the diversion channel west of the Highway 94/Raymond interchange and the existing Sheyenne Diversion Project, leaving the Horace to West Fargo diversion channel separate from the proposed diversion channel.
Changes to the southern portion of the project included adding gates on the inlet structure, moving the diversion approximately one mile north, adding levees through town and eliminating Storage Area 1.
It is important to note that these changes are not considered final until the supplemental Environmental Assessment is complete, which is scheduled for July 2013.
The Corps and Diversion Authority will continue to work together to improve the project and inform the public of all decisions. Please visit the F-M Diversion website for additional information: www.fmdiversion.com.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. It contributes around $175 million to the five-state district economy. The 700 employees work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.