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Senator Kent Conrad will convene an official hearing of the Senate Budget Committee next week in Devils Lake.
The idea will be to gather comments and testimony from area leaders on how they think the federal government should best combat the challenges posed by the rising waters of Devils Lake.
The meeting will take place July 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Lake Region State College.
The North Dakota delegation has announced the White House formation of an interagency working group to tackle the short and long-term challenges posed by the growing lake.
“The communities around Devils Lake face an urgent threat, and we need immediate action to begin moving water off Devils Lake,” the delegation said in a joint statement.
“We need everybody on board and working together. We now have engagement at the highest levels of the White House working to get relief for Devils Lake.”
Vice President Joe Biden has directed Peter Orszag, director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, to convene an interagency working group, modeled on the Devils Lake task force created by the Clinton Administration, to take immediate steps to tackle the threat of the rising lake.
“I’m pleased we’ve been able to work with the North Dakota delegation to take this next step to explore solutions with regards to Devils Lake,” said Biden.
Orszag also said he’s happy to be working with the North Dakota delegation. That includes the entire Lake Region.
The federal group will be comprised of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, BIA, Department of State, EPA, National Weather Service, USGS and the Fish and Wildlife.
In the short term, each agency has been asked to address issues regarding Minnewaukan, review of upper basin storage, and re-evaluation of FEMA’s flood endorsement policy and other mitigation strategies for saving homes in the region before they are flooded. Relevant agencies will also be looking into whether water quality issues south of Lake Ashtablua could be safely adjusted to allow more water to be pumped from the west end.
In the long term, a real risk of uncontrolled overflow will be discussed, which could have devastating downstream imp-acts.
Options include improved water treatment, a control structure at the Tolna coulee, modifications to the state outlet to increase capacity, and technoligies to lower sulfate levels.
There is a 90-day deadline for the Corps to provide its recommendations.
Senator Conrad’s office says the event is still coming together.
Senator Kent Conrad will convene an official hearing of the Senate Budget Committee next week in Devils Lake.
The idea will be to gather comments and testimony from area leaders on how they think the federal government should best combat the challenges posed by the rising waters of Devils Lake.
The meeting will take place July 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Lake Region State College.
The North Dakota delegation has announced the White House formation of an interagency working group to tackle the short and long-term challenges posed by the growing lake.
“The communities around Devils Lake face an urgent threat, and we need immediate action to begin moving water off Devils Lake,” the delegation said in a joint statement.
“We need everybody on board and working together. We now have engagement at the highest levels of the White House working to get relief for Devils Lake.”
Vice President Joe Biden has directed Peter Orszag, director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, to convene an interagency working group, modeled on the Devils Lake task force created by the Clinton Administration, to take immediate steps to tackle the threat of the rising lake.
“I’m pleased we’ve been able to work with the North Dakota delegation to take this next step to explore solutions with regards to Devils Lake,” said Biden.
Orszag also said he’s happy to be working with the North Dakota delegation. That includes the entire Lake Region.
The federal group will be comprised of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, BIA, Department of State, EPA, National Weather Service, USGS and the Fish and Wildlife.
In the short term, each agency has been asked to address issues regarding Minnewaukan, review of upper basin storage, and re-evaluation of FEMA’s flood endorsement policy and other mitigation strategies for saving homes in the region before they are flooded. Relevant agencies will also be looking into whether water quality issues south of Lake Ashtablua could be safely adjusted to allow more water to be pumped from the west end.
In the long term, a real risk of uncontrolled overflow will be discussed, which could have devastating downstream imp-acts.
Options include improved water treatment, a control structure at the Tolna coulee, modifications to the state outlet to increase capacity, and technoligies to lower sulfate levels.
There is a 90-day deadline for the Corps to provide its recommendations.
Senator Conrad’s office says the event is still coming together.
