Initial Funding For Billion-Dollar Missouri River Pipeline Secured
Solving water scarcity issues can be an expensive proposition. Desalination, for instance, is a notoriously energy-intensive process that requires significant investment in technology and equipment. Now, one of the latest drought prevention projects in the U.S. is set to start construction on its way to a 13-figure bill.
“An infusion of $30 million will enable construction to begin next spring on a $1 billion pipeline that will deliver Missouri River water to the Red River Valley during periods of prolonged drought,” according to The Forum. “The Red River Valley Water Supply Project is a 165-mile pipeline meant to carry water from the Missouri near Washburn, north of Bismarck [North Dakota] and empty into the Sheyenne River above Baldhill Dam, a reservoir north of Valley City [North Dakota].”
The 72-inch diameter pipeline could carry 74,057 gallons of water per minute. But despite the $30 million acquired to launch the project, it still faces a potential roadblock. The state of Missouri has “argued that transfer of water would deplete the Missouri River” and “Canada doesn’t object to transferring the water … but wants to make sure that no biological species can enter the basin,” per The Jamestown Sun.
Those backing the project are eager to get it underway as quickly as possible, despite any potential legal challenges that may still spring up. If construction begins, the entire project could fall under more favorable federal legislation than if it is delayed long enough for the Waters of the United States regulations to take effect in North Dakota.
“Officials are eager to start construction of all three major components of the project — the intake, pipeline and outlet — so it can be ‘grandfathered in’ under rules that will be revised by the Trump administration,” The Forum reported. “The concern is that the much less favorable ‘Waters of the United States’ regulations from the Obama administration otherwise could apply, if legal challenges fail … North Dakota is among a group of states suing to eliminate the rule, which state officials and others argue is overly restrictive, and the rule has not taken effect in North Dakota because of the ongoing lawsuit.”
To read more about projects designed to ease drought pressure visit Water Online’s Water Scarcity Solutions Center.
Image credit: "Western North Dakota," Heather © 2013, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/