Mouse River Management - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Mouse River Management

It was historic flooding that lead to North Dakota's worst natural disaster.
Now, More than a year after the Mouse River reached its crest, the process of changing how the river is managed is underway.
 
The International Souris River Board is currently in the initial stages of what is called a 'Plan of Study' for the system that not only includes the Souris-Mouse River system in Canada and the United States, but smaller creeks and streams that flow into it.
North Dakota State Water Engineer Todd Sando is co-chair of the ISRB and says this is the first important step that needs to be taken so that proper changes can be made that prove beneficial for everyone along the river system.

(Todd Sando - State Water Engineer) "The 'Plan of Study' is so we can go in and modify the international agreement.  It is looking at target flows, storage, maybe storing more water in Canada or Long Creek or the Des Lacs.  It will be comprehensive to look at all options."

Sando also said potential projects like raising the level of the Lake Darling Dam -- something suggested by the Governor -- are still on the table.
Anything that can help handle not just snow melt in Canada...but rainfall as well.
He also says the addition of another staff person is helping in this 'Plan of Study' period with the ISRB.

(Todd Sando - State Water Engineer) "We have been working with the International Joint Commission and have some funding through them to get someone to direct the study and he is on board to help lay out the scope of work with us and the Corps of Engineers and the Provinces."

How long might this process take?
Years possibly.
Sando says changing an international agreement when it comes to target river flows is complicated -- making sure new target flows can be handled system-wide.

While officials in charge of determining the management of the river system are at work, there are persistent questions about current water levels on the reservoirs along the Souris River in Canada and the Mouse River in the US.
We've had many calls from people who say they've heard rumors that the reservoirs in Canada are full and another major flood is just a rain storm away.
But a look at the computer-generated data on the

reservoirs shows that's not true at all.
In fact, the reservoirs in both Canada and the US are currently a little below their normal levels for this time of year.
As of today, the level at Rafferty Dam - the dam that creates the largest reservoir along the river system - is more than a foot below it's normal operating level.
Rafferty is at 550.1 meters, compared to its desired summer level of 550.5 meters.
The much-smaller Alameda Reservoir is also below its normal level.
Alameda is at 561.9 meters, just slightly below its summer level of 562 meters.
In the US, Lake Darling is sitting at 1596.48 - about a half-foot below it's summer operating level of 1597.

All three dams pushed a record amount of water through them in 2011 - the year that broke records for water levels all along the river system.