North Dakota Braces For Major Flooding

“You throw mild temperatures and rain into the snow pack and that combination has sped things up tremendously.” – greg gust North Dakota was bracing for major flooding along the Red River to occur this week as melting snow created water levels just below the record set in 2009, the National Weather Service said March

A New Flood Control For An Old Problem

“There would be minimum disruption.” – HERM MARTENS, R. M. OF MORRIS The Manitoba government has signalled its interest in digging another floodway. Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Steve Ashton said last week the province may consider diverting the Morris River to help ease chronic spring flooding of Highway 75 at Morris. That would


Major Spring Flooding Seen In North Dakota

Potential for cities and towns to be hit by major flooding along the Red River in North Dakota and Minnesota runs from likely to a near certainty this spring, the United States National Weather Service said Feb. 19. The Red River Valley’s biggest city, Fargo, North Dakota, has a 96 per cent chance of major

Red River Flood Risk Seen High, But Less Than 2009

The Red River has the potential for major spring flooding in Manitoba and North Dakota, Canadian and U. S. forecasters said Jan. 25, but it’s unlikely to be as severe as last year, when flood waters swamped fields and left many farmers unable to plant crops. High soil moisture before winter and high levels on


What Is A 100-Year Flood?

In the past 40 years, nearly all of those living in the Red River Valley have had them – 100-year floods, that is. And some have experienced flood levels considerably beyond this. The 1969 spring flood at Crookston, Minn. was just slightly less than a 100-year flood. The 1997 flood at Grand Forks, Pembina and

Valley Residents Fed Up With Red River Flooding

Frustration about constant flooding from the Red River spilled over at an international commission forum on flood solutions for the Red River basin. Local residents voiced aggravation at the economic and emotional toll from spring floods which regularly inundate farmland and cut off communities. Many demanded compensation for the expense, damage and inconvenience caused by


Multi-Purpose Flood Protection: A Rural-Urban Win-Win

We ignore the lessons of the 2009 Red River flood at our peril. It reveals another reason why urban taxpayers should take an interest in what happens on the rural landscape. Well-managed agriculture can help keep basements dry, tax bills lower and give us an edge in adapting to climate change. Agricultural water management has

Flooded Farmers Can Still Get Crops In On Time

Some Manitoba producers in flood-affected areas are still a few weeks away from seeding but specialists say there is no reason for panic assuming weather co-operates through May. As of May 5, the amount of flooded Manitoba farmland had retreated from its April 24 peak of 86,400 hectares to 64,600 hectares, a Statistics Canada report


Flood Risk Downgraded

“In a few months, we’ll be trying to find water to irrigate the garden.” – JOHN SNYDER The rising waters of the Souris River appear to have spared Melita residents, with the expected crest about three feet lower than previously feared. Two weeks ago, with the provincial flood forecaster predicting a flood to rival that

Spring Floods Among Worst In History

A vast overland sea stretched across the Red River Valley this week as weary residents hunkered down behind berms and ring dikes to wait out the fourth-worst flood in Manitoba’s history. A lake up to 10 miles wide from the swollen Red River and its tributaries spread over 975 square kilometres, leaving communities and farmyards