Emmons and Mercer County officials testify before Senator Byron Dorgan.

The Senate hearing examines the available options that both Counties may have to prevent future flooding.

The Corp of Engineers and the State Water Commission are evaluating several structural measures.

In Linton, 100 homes were evacuated as water rose last March. Ninety-eight of those suffered damage...about a dozen of those will be demolished.

Dale Frink with the North Dakota Water Commission says working on flooding issues in rural areas is very different than working on flooding issues in larger cities like Fargo and Grand Forks.

(Dale Frank/ND Water Commission) "Federal projects require a positive benefit cost ratio and this is often problematic in a rural setting. Relocating homes and structures on the flood plain is often the best solutions, but there is even issues with this is small cities. Real estate values are lower in small towns and often these values are considerably lower than the replacement value of the home."


The North Dakota Water Commission has been working with the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service on improving flood forecasting on Beaver Creek. The Geological Survey are installing stream gages in the Beaver Creek Water Shed. Those gages allow the National Weather Service to acurately forecast flooding and hopefully provide earlier warning. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list