Construction on the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP) will begin in 2021 thanks to support from the North Dakota State Water Commission and the Interim Water Topics Overview Committee. The State Water Commission approved Garrison Diversion Conservancy District (Garrison Diversion) in October that $5.75 million dollars would be released to fund the Missouri River Intake Pumping Station Wetwell construction south of Washburn, as well as $1.13 million for property acquisition and project planning.
“This is a giant step forward in the progress of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project,” says Duane DeKrey, Garrison Diversion General Manager.
The decision from the State Water Commission comes after Garrison Diversion reported in September to a joint meeting of the ND State Water Commission and the ND Interim Water Topics Overview Committee that all the criteria spelled out in Senate Bill 2020 from the last legislative session have been met. The State Water Commission and Budget Section’s approval of the SB2020 conditions paved the way for funding availability. Bid notices were published in mid-October and a bid opening was held November 12, when ICS was selected with a bid of $4.89 million from a pool of three bidders.
The Lake Agassiz Water Authority (LAWA) Board of Directors approved a “Notice to Proceed” at a special meeting on November 19 to approve the bid from ICS. The Garrison Diversion Board of Directors followed suit at a special board meeting held the next day. Construction is scheduled to begin on the wet well in January.
“Garrison Diversion Board members and staff, as well as LAWA Board members, have been working towards this for several years. Getting the project to this point is truly worth celebrating,” says DeKrey.