12.06.16

Hoeven: Corps Awards First Contract for Permanent Flood Protection, Calls Corps Award "Big Step" Forward for Regional Flood Control

Work Continues to Address Minnesota, Upstream Concerns

WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven announced today that the Corps of Engineers has awarded its first federal contract for permanent flood protection for the Red River Valley. The Corps awarded $46 million for construction of an inlet structure that will control the flow of water into a diversion channel. Work on the inlet structure is expected to be completed in 2020.

“Today’s contract is a big step toward permanent flood protection for the entire region,” Hoeven said. “The snowstorm currently moving through North Dakota is a reminder that too much moisture at the wrong time can cause significant flooding in the spring. We cannot settle for emergency measures. We must be committed to building comprehensive, permanent flood protection even as we work to address concerns from the State of Minnesota and upstream interests in the project.”

Hoeven worked to secure the funding, as well as permission to begin construction, as a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee. Hoeven also worked to get authorization for permanent flood protection in the Red River Valley in the 2014 water resources bill.

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