ND State Engineer Given Outlet Contract Power

JAMES MacPHERSON

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's state Water Commission is moving forward with plans for a $15.3 million upgrade to the system of canals and pipes that drains Devils Lake floodwaters into the Sheyenne River.

Downstream opponents, meanwhile, are stepping up their opposition.

The Water Commission, chaired by Gov. John Hoeven, voted unanimously Thursday to give chief engineer Dale Frink the authority to contract for the multimillion outlet upgrade. The work, funded from state oil taxes and tobacco settlement money, will include power supplies, pump stations and water-filtering equipment.

The upgrade will allow the outlet to pump 250 cubic feet of water per second and move up to 6 inches of water off the flooded lake under ideal conditions.

The outlet's capacity at present is 100 cubic feet of water per second. It took about 2 inches of water off the lake this year before it was shut down on Oct. 31 for the winter, officials said.

Years of wet weather have caused the lake to triple in size since the early 1990s, flooding homes, roads and fields. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to help residents battle the water. Devils Lake surpassed its modern-day record high of 1,450.72 feet last summer. On Thursday, it measured 1449.95 feet, an increase of about 28 feet since 1992.