Loading

The Current A Newsletter from the Department of Water Resources - February 2022 - Issue I

Andrea Travnicek, Ph.D., Director - Water Resources

A Letter From The Director

Happy New Year from the DWR Team! We hope that you had an enjoyable holiday season, and we are excited for the opportunities to continue to work with all of you in 2022 as we strive to manage the water resources of the state for the betterment of the citizens.

As a recap to the last few months, the agency was appropriated $75 million through Senate Bill 2345 during the Special Legislative Session held in November for the purpose of funding water infrastructure projects. In addition, a Water Projects Stabilization Fund was developed and will provide funding for defraying planning and construction expenses for water projects. This fund will grow as any oil extraction tax revenues that exceed the amount included in the 2021 legislative forecast are transferred quarterly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) throughout the biennium.

DWR team members also attended and presented at the 58th Annual Joint North Dakota Water Convention and Irrigation Workshop in December. We appreciated the opportunity to interact with water users, water managers, planners, and developers from across the state. We listened to concerns, innovative ideas and continue to follow up with requests to visit on-site and learn more about specific projects. A new DWR emblem was also unveiled at the convention. This emblem will be used to quickly identify the mission, vision, and priorities associated with the Department, and will soon be seen throughout the state as we continue to enhance branding of the DWR.

Following the December 10th State Water Commission meeting (SWC), Commissioners participated in the first meeting related to reviewing cost-share policies. At this meeting, several cost-share policies related to funding water supply, flood control, conveyance and general water management projects were discussed. Over the last several years various questions have been raised related to some of the current policies. Through this current effort, the DWR and the SWC are looking for clarity and further direction as projects are reviewed and considered for funding. The second cost-share policy discussion with Commissioners took place at the January 27 Pre-Commission meeting. The goal is to review the policies throughout the spring and summer in order to hear feedback from the public and project sponsors so that final decisions can begin to be implemented this fall.

In January, DWR hired Odney, Inc. to assist with developing a five-year strategic plan for the new Department. In the past, the agency created an internal two-year strategic plan that was developed concurrently with the legislative biennium. This strategic planning effort will allow the Department to gather feedback through a public process through surveys, focus groups and interviews that Odney will be conducting over the next several months. DWR appreciates the time and effort that many of you will contribute to providing feedback and direction for the Department. The Department hopes to have a final strategic plan developed by May 2022.

Other initiatives the Department will be working on in 2022 include continuing to work towards updating the 1985 North Dakota Dam Design Handbook. This project was started in 2017 by the Office of the State Engineer. Since then, the Department has worked with a hired consultant to gather best practices to work towards modernizing current design standards. The Department will be soliciting feedback from agencies and constituents in a public and open process this coming year on the draft guidelines. Dam design practices have advanced in the past 35 years, and the Department’s effort will enable more efficient and safe infrastructure design.

Additionally, DWR will be working to update necessary administrative rules based upon the legislative changes that occurred through HB 1353 with the development of the new Department.

As you have questions or concerns related to any of the initiatives DWR is working on this year, do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of the DWR team members. I look forward to continuing to get out in the field this year to learn more about the various projects going on across the state. I also look forward to working with you as DWR begins to plan for the 23-25 Legislative Session.

All the best in the new year, Andrea

Commissioner Gene Veeder - Upper Missouri River Basin

Commissioner’s Corner

As a recent appointee to the State Water Commission, I appreciate the opportunity to give you a little background on my interest in water development in the great state of North Dakota.

I live on a ranch in western North Dakota that was homesteaded in 1914 by my grandfather Edgar Veeder. The ranch has a history, with 12 homesteaders staking a claim, making improvements, and eventually selling interests to my grandfather when the dreaded Dirty Thirties took a toll on the Great Plains.

If you were to explore the ranch and its homestead sites, the common theme is that they were all chosen with some sort of water availability in mind for household, livestock, and future needs. Historically, this has been an area with poor quality water found in deep wells. Few homesteaders had the capacity to search 200 to 400 feet deep, so most of the sites were adjacent to springs or spring fed creeks. Western North Dakota is also a semi-arid part of the Midwest with less than six inches of fragile topsoil and much of the ranch has wooded draws and buttes with varying soil types and topography.

The site my grandfather claimed had a good spring with plenty of volume, but very high sodium concentrations for human users. On the positive side, we had the softest water in the township, and we didn’t know the difference. I did lose my mother to heart disease in her early sixties and often wonder if that was somewhat of a factor.

Our neighbors had varying challenges with water too, from dark stained, iron infused wells, and limited water supply - everyone knew where the one good spring was, and many hauled drinking water from that spring.

So that brings me to today’s landscape in water development. I accepted a position on the McKenzie County Water Resources District board and served as a member on that board through the beginning of the first rural water projects and on to the planning, funding, and implementation of the Western Area Water Supply (WAWS) project. I also served on the County’s Economic Development Board during a time of challenging economic conditions, low farm prices, drought, and a busted oil industry.

The Economic Development Board prioritized rural water development as a key factor in saving the community and we fast-tracked the first rural water systems with the assistance of the State Water Commission and Rural Development grants. People began to see the benefits of bringing clean, potable water to the area. Past leaders had the insight to tie water funding to economic development, and when the Bakken expansion started, we worked with the City of Williston and surrounding communities to develop the WAWS project to meet the needs of rapid growth while leveraging industrial water sales to help fund the expansion.

It was a difficult and often controversial expansion, one that required a fast-paced build-out and millions of dollars of state assistance to accomplish. The Legislature and regional leaders worked with industry and rural communities to develop a funding model that could build out years of infrastructure in a ten-year time frame. Today, the project provides water to the fastest growing county in the United States. The industry needs water, the industry needs a workforce, and ranchers need water for homes and cattle. North Dakota is now challenged with developing a process to bring different models of regional water distribution under a model consistent throughout the entire state. I believe the timing is right for that effort.

I am proud to see the success of WAWS and other water development projects in North Dakota. McKenzie County has very few vacant farmsteads today and those that are on the market are in high demand. I am happy to see the promise kept when my ancestors watched the damming of the Missouri River with the hope for economic development in the form of electrical generation and municipal and rural water for the region and state.

Today, it appears the Missouri River has the potential to serve the entire state with industrial and residential water and I fully support that opportunity. Young families look forward to rural living, especially now with quality water and professional engineers and technicians to support the effort.

I now have three families living on my ranch, all households supplied by McKenzie County Rural Water District and WAWS. My rancher neighbors are convinced of the benefits of fresh clean water, and I am happy to not spend another frozen North Dakota night working on a pump in a spring box to bring substandard water to my home and farm.

I have been very impressed with the vision of the Governor and State Water Commission as we navigate the political challenges of the future. The Mighty Missouri is a resource beyond measure to this state and I believe that will be more evident to my children and grandchildren as the rest of the country continues to build mega municipalities in the driest parts of the country. I am excited to be a part of the next great push for water development in North Dakota.

Jeffrey Mattern, MR&I Water Supply Program Coordinator and Cost-Share Program Management

State Engineer’s Professionalism Award

Jeffrey Mattern, MR&I Water Supply Program Coordinator and Cost-Share Program Management, received the 2021 North Dakota State Engineer’s Professionalism Award. Jeffrey is a member of the Planning and Education Division and has admirably served the agency for over 40 years.

The State Engineer’s Professionalism Award was first presented in 1992 and has been a continuous sign of gratitude throughout the years. The peer-nominated award is presented to a DWR employee that has exceeded expectations, performed high-quality work while supporting the agency’s mission and goals, exhibited a positive and professional attitude while making advancements in providing services to the state, and has also unselfishly helped co-workers and the public.

Jeffrey has extensive knowledge of the agency and has worked as a water resource engineer in various areas of the DWR including Regulatory, Water Development, and the Investigations Section. Currently, he administers the Federal Municipal, Rural, and Industrial (MR&I) Water Supply Program and water supply projects under the agency’s Cost-Share Program. As part of those responsibilities, Jeffrey reviews applications and assists project sponsors with specific water supply projects and associated costs that may be eligible for financial assistance through the aforementioned funding programs.

Throughout his career, Jeffrey has demonstrated profound dedication, provided expertise and leadership on numerous projects, and has been an exemplary team player.

New Agency Awards

DWR Director, Andrea Travnicek, introduced two additional awards in 2021 – The Excellence in Teamwork Award, and the Leadership Everywhere Award. Andrea feels that it is of importance to recognize DWR team members for their valued service to the agency, peers, and North Dakota’s citizens.

Excellence In Teamwork Award

Bryce Klasen, Sam Swanberg, Jennifer Martin, and Michaela Halvorson

Being inclusive and sharing information provides better outcomes and is crucial to innovation. The Excellence in Teamwork Award is given to a DWR team that is uniquely exceptional. They collaborate to effectively communicate, streamline processes or technology to increase efficiency, and work as team players on projects across the department and across Team ND.

This award was presented to Bryce Klasen, Sam Swanberg, Jennifer Martin, and Michaela Halvorson. The group, comprised of surface water hydrologists, are staff members in the Water Appropriation Division and were nominated for their devotion to providing first-rate customer service, being uniquely exceptional, using exemplary problem-solving skills, and collectively demonstrating innovation on a daily basis. The team represents the best of the best in citizen focus and commitment to the state of North Dakota.

Leadership Everywhere Award

Director Andrea Travnicek and PIO Jessie Wald

Service is a core value of the DWR. While much of our work is focused on serving our external customers, we also strive to provide service to each other and the entire ND Team.

Jessie Wald was the proud recipient of the Leadership Everywhere Award. Jessie is the Public Information Officer for the agency and has been a member of the DWR staff for nearly nine years. She was recognized for her effective teamwork skills, beneficial communication efforts, and considerable public outreach achievements.

Jessie embraces the principles of leadership everywhere by routinely demonstrating the Department of Water Resources' core value of providing service to others through the utilization of her unique skills and knowledge. Jessie excels at helping co-workers and Team ND members enrich their individual and collective talents and to be successful in their endeavors.

Commendation For Outstanding Performance

Each year, the DWR hands out Commendations for Outstanding Performance to employees who have performed at an exceptionally high level, or who have done exceptional work on a project or program. Nominations are made by Division Directors, and final determinations are made by the agency’s Director. Recipients of Commendations for Outstanding Performance Awards for 2021 are:

Albert Lachenmeier, Dawn Martin, Jared Huibregtse, Jessie Wald, Karen Heinert, Kelli Schroeder, Michaela Halvorson, Mike Hall, Paul Moen, Sam Swanberg, and Steve Best.

SB 2345 Appropriates $75 Million In ARPA Funding To The DWR

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) is an economic stimulus bill passed in March 2021 by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. North Dakota’s ARPA allocation exceeded $1 billion and has been received by the Bank of North Dakota.

On September 30, Governor Burgum unveiled his Accelerate ND plan containing his executive recommendations to the state Legislature for strategically investing federal ARPA funds. As part of the plan, the Governor proposed using a portion of the state’s allotment for workforce and economic development, infrastructure, and capital improvements, in addition to emergency response, health care, and citizen service efficiency.

In November 2021, North Dakota held a Special Legislative Session to allocate the ARPA funds. DWR Director, Andrea Travnicek, provided testimony to the Legislature’s Interim House and Senate Appropriations Committees, outlining how the ARPA funds would help DWR and the SWC support Governor Burgum’s Accelerate ND plan for smart, efficient water infrastructure projects. Travnicek discussed the existing important water development needs in North Dakota, as well as emerging economic development opportunities across the state.

Senate Bill 2345 appropriated $75 million to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the purpose of funding water infrastructure projects, and is intended to be spent before Resources Trust Fund (RTF) revenue is applied to projects that comply with federal guidance for state recovery funds. Additionally, the Water Projects Stabilization Fund was initiated through this bill to provide funding for defraying planning and construction expenses for water projects. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will transfer $1 million dollars and any oil extraction tax revenue deposited into the RTF that exceed the amount included in the 2021 legislative forecast during the period beginning August 1, 2021, and ending February 28, 2023, from the RTF to the Water Projects Stabilization Fund. The first quarter transfer to the Water Projects Stabilization Fund was $10,288,371 on Jan 14, 2022. Furthermore, the DWR and OMB will continue to work with legal staff on the eligibility and use of funds as this is determined. We also will evaluate new projects as they are approved by the SWC to determine if they are eligible.

Effective use of funding opportunities such as ARPA dollars have become increasingly important as the DWR focuses on a longer-term planning horizon. Water supply and flood protection projects remain important to communities throughout the state. Additionally, water remains a central factor in many areas of the state’s economic development initiatives. By presently investing in strategic water projects, DWR can help North Dakota advance water infrastructure in the future through a more sustainable approach to water development.

DWR Agency Strategic Planning Underway

In January, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) began the process of developing a new agency strategic plan. In the past, DWR has completed agency strategic planning processes internally using staff resources and expertise, and plans were typically for two-year biennial timeframes. For the current ongoing strategic planning process, DWR has hired Odney Inc. to assist, and the new strategic plan will be developed for a five-year timeframe.

Through the Legislature’s passage of House Bill 1353 during the 2021 Session, the State Water Commission was reorganized as the Department of Water Resources, a Director was appointed, and the agency is now a member of the Governor’s cabinet. As a result of these fundamental changes, it seemed appropriate to take a fresh look at the agency’s mission, vision, philosophies and values, goals, and objectives. (Please note, the DWR strategic plan will be focused on agency operational efforts and aspirations, and is separate from the DWR and Water Commission’s Water Development Plan efforts, which are focused on project planning and advancement.)

To ensure the new DWR strategic plan is comprehensive in nature, and addresses both internal and external roles and responsibilities, a great deal of effort will be focused on input from a broad range of constituents through both fillable surveys and interviews. With that in mind, if you are contacted by Odney Inc. in the coming months regarding surveys or interviews related to DWR’s strategic planning process, we ask that you please take the time to provide input. This will help to ensure that the DWR is moving forward in a manner that best serves our constituents for many years to come. The new DWR strategic plan is scheduled for completion in early summer 2022.

DWR Emblem

DWR Unveils Agency’s New Emblem

In December, Director Andrea Travnicek unveiled the Department of Water Resources’ new emblem during her State of Water presentation at the 58th Annual Water Convention. The emblem has been designed to recognize and represent the mission, vision, priorities, and branding of the agency. The emblem is an integral part of the visual identity, visual presence, and reponsibilities of the DWR. It incorporates branding guidance and compliance standards and will be featured on agency projects, presentations, innovations, and much more.

Cost-Share Applications Available Via WebGrants

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is now using North Dakota’s WebGrants online application system for Cost-Share Program applications. The funding opportunity within WebGrants is called Funding for Infrastructure in North Dakota (FIND). Under FIND, applicants can also be considered for funding/loan opportunities through the Bank of North Dakota (BND), Public Finance Authority (PFA), and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

The next deadline for Cost-Share Program applications is February 28, 2022. Complete applications submitted by the deadline will be discussed by the Commission at their March 17 Pre-meeting. Eligible projects will then be considered for funding approval at the April 12 Commission meeting.

To learn more about applying through WebGrants and FIND, check out this tutorial video developed by DWR, BND, PFA, and DEQ.

Water Wheel Awards

Sindhu S.Pillai-Grinolds - SWPP Project Manager/Water Resource Engineer, P.E.

Each year, Water Wheel awards are given out by the North Dakota Water Users Association and North Dakota Water Resource Districts at the annual North Dakota Water Convention. Recipients are nominated for their exceptional efforts and commitment to protecting and managing the state’s water resources.

Sindhu S.Pillai-Grinolds and James Odermann were honored with Water Wheel awards at the 58th Annual ND Water Convention and Irrigation Workshop for their pivotal guidance, dedicated leadership, and admirable years of service to water in North Dakota.

Sindhu has been an invaluable member of the Department of Water Resources' team since 2005 and has served as the project manager for the Southwest Pipeline Project (SWPP) since 2011. She grew up in India and realized at a young age how an adequate supply of quality water can have a profound impact on standard of living. Sindhu was passionate about water from a young age, and she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India, and received her Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from North Dakota State University.

Sindhu’s tireless efforts and diligent management are visible through the success of the SWPP. She also maintains outstanding relationships and communication with co-workers, constituents, and contractors. Her knowledge and understanding of the high-priority objectives of the SWPP and goals of the Department of Water Resources have aided more than 56,000 residents of southwest North Dakota in receiving quality water. Sindhu’s careful oversight of state funding for the Project continues to demonstrate exemplary stewardship of state resources.

Sindhu is hard working and exceptionally insightful. She continues to make a positive impact on the management, development, and use of North Dakota's water resources.

SWC Commissioner/SWA Board Chairman James Odermann

Also recognized at the awards ceremony was James Odermann. He has served more than 25 years on the Southwest Water Authority’s (SWA) board of directors and was recently appointed by Governor Burgum as a State Water Commission member.

Odermann has provided leadership and guidance in a variety of regional and state community service businesses, organizations, and projects, including NDSU’s Dickinson Research Extension Center, Assumption Abbey, Billings County Historical Society, North Dakota Nature and Rural Tourism, Dakota West Resource Conservation and Development, and the Medora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Odermann is a vocal advocate of SWA’s involvement with other rural entities and is collaboratively working to develop sensible, sustainable water policy for the state. Throughout his career, he has remained steadfast in communicating the importance of quality water to North Dakota’s livelihood and sustainability in the future.

North Dakota’s Dam Safety Program

North Dakota has a long history of managing water resources through the construction of dams. Most early dam construction in North Dakota was initiated by the federal government. Beginning with irrigation and livestock supply efforts in the 1930s, dams are essential components of the state’s infrastructure. Dams have resulted from New Deal programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration, and have provided water use and management opportunities not otherwise available in the western United States.

Dams are essential components of the state’s infrastructure, providing fundamental services such as water storage for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, flood control, water supply, fire protection, recreation, and wildlife habitat.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) administers the North Dakota Dam Safety Program which implements safety, education, and smart, efficient infrastructure, along with proper management of the state’s dams. The DWR’s Dam Safety Section is responsible for dam inspection, dam owner outreach and coordination, emergency preparedness, and permitting of North Dakota’s existing and potential dams.

Dam Safety Manager Karen Goff, P.E., works to ensure sound management of the state’s dam inventory of approximately 3,300 dams within the state. Of these, 49 dams are currently classified as high hazard and 63 are currently classified as medium hazard. This means there is the potential for loss of life or significant property damage downstream if one of those dams were to fail. Updating, maintaining, and improving the state’s inventory of dams is a continuous, ongoing effort of the dam safety program.

Since 1985, dam design standards for North Dakota have been outlined through the North Dakota Dam Design Handbook (North Dakota State Engineer, June 1985). This Handbook lays out dam design classifications and spillway design criteria for North Dakota dams. In addition, it discusses general design practices and standards for the design of new earthfill dams and for the modification of existing structures.

Since the Handbook was written in 1985, dam design best practices have evolved. At a national level, other states and agencies across the country are continually updating their design standards and practices to ensure that dams are designed using the most up to date methods. Examples of recent best practice guidance documents include a series of technical manuals produced by FEMA on various aspects of dam design including “Conduits through Embankment Dams”, September 2005, “Filters for Embankment Dams”, October 2011, and “Selecting and Accommodating Inflow Design Floods for Dams”, August 2013. Another example is the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s “Technical Release 21-60, Earth Dams and Reservoirs”, which was updated in March 2019.

In order to stay current with the state of the practice associated with dam designs across the country, the Office of the State Engineer and the Dam Safety Section began in 2018 to review standards, design and requirements that may be useful for the state of the practice in North Dakota. This project is being funded by National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) grants through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DWR will be working with stakeholders and technical experts to help clarify and modernize North Dakota’s minimum dam design standards and requirements for dam construction permits. This will result in an updated North Dakota Dam Design Handbook.

Another topic to be aware of with the construction of dams is Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP). PMP is the maximum amount of precipitation at a location for a given amount of time that is meteorologically possible. Furthermore, the PMP values help dam designers ensure that dams in the state are constructed to a standard necessary to withstand the most extreme rainfall mother nature may produce. PMP values are adapted as required by DWR guidelines. Spillway design standards for dams are based on the PMP, so it is an important facet of dam safety to have PMP values that are up-to-date using current precipitation data and state-of-the-science methods. North Dakota’s PMP values were first developed in the 1970s and 80s by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.

After more than 40 years of additional data, the DWR hired a consultant in 2019 to develop updated values and meteorological practices to reflect today’s state of the practice through support from the North Dakota Silver Jackets program. Applied Weather Associates (AWA) conducted the study and worked with a project review board consisting of the DWR, North Dakota State University, the National Weather Service Bismarck and Grand Forks Offices, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Other stakeholders involved in the development and review of the study included the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Houston Engineering, Inc., HDR, Inc., Barr Engineering, Inc., and RJH Consultants, Inc. The study was completed in the summer of 2021 and DWR has been working to develop updated usage guidance and tools to help make use of the updated PMP values. This interim guidance will be released in the next month.

DWR will continue to emphasize public safety, develop innovation, and implement smart-efficient infrastructure throughout North Dakota. In addition, the Department will continue to work with the public, stakeholders, law makers and technical experts to gather information as guidance and manuals are developed.

For more information, please visit www.dwr.nd.gov.

2023-2025 Water Development Plan In Motion

Each biennium, the State Water Commission is required by North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) to, “develop and maintain a comprehensive water development plan organized on a river basin perspective, including an inventory of future water projects for budgeting and planning purposes.” At the end of January 2022, the Planning and Education Division initiated the first steps of next biennium’s water development planning process, focusing on the 2023-2025 biennium and beyond. A notice was sent out to potential project sponsors, directing them to the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) online submission form. The form requests project sponsors identify their specific water development projects and programs in order to move forward with potential funding. The online submission form is accessible on the DWR’s website at www.dwr.nd.gov.

Project sponsors are asked to submit their potential projects for inclusion in the 2023-2025 plan no later than April 30, 2022. This will provide DWR team members adequate time to properly develop a draft project inventory ahead of Commissioner reviews - typically completed in June. Also required by NDCC, are Commissioner-hosted basin meetings within North Dakota’s major drainage basins. The purpose of these beneficial meetings is to promote and encourage local project sponsor participation in the water planning process. This biennium, a total of eight meetings will be held - one in each of the commissioners’ respective basins.

As in the past, the input gained from local project sponsors and water managers will serve as the foundation of the DWR’s budget request to the Governor and Legislature. Thus, the DWR encourages a grass-roots approach to ensure the most accurate representation of stakeholder needs. Local expertise and input are at the heart of water development in North Dakota, and are critical in making this process successful. For more information, please contact the Planning and Education Division at (701) 328-4967 or email jjhuibregtse@nd.gov.

Internal Promotions

Paul Moen, Director of Data and Technology Services

In November, Paul Moen was announced as the new Director of Data and Technology Services within the Department of Water Resources. Data and Technology Services is an innovative team that provides internal and external technological services including, desktop support, data processing, geographic information system (GIS) applications, robust map services, real-time data collection, management of the I.T. budget, and various other specialized technology-oriented elements.

Paul began his career with the agency in 1995 as a field meteorologist for the Atmospheric Resources Board and later moved into the information technology field as a Data Processing Coordinator and Hydrologist focusing on database administration, web applications and electronics, and design and programming.

During his nearly 27 years at the agency, Paul has used his extensive knowledge and state-of-the-art skills to streamline implementation of numerous projects, including statewide LiDAR dissemination, in-house development of the North Dakota Risk Assessment MapService (NDRAM), and aerial imagery compilation. He has also played a central role in the real-time data collection tool known as PRESENS (Pushing Remote SENSors). Paul is also involved in various collaborative and coordination efforts with the North Dakota Information Technology Department (NDIT).

Paul is an instrumental and valuable member of the DWR team. He is looking forward to his new role and expanding the agency’s data collection capabilities, and ensuring that the DWRs’ technology remains efficient, productive, and innovative.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys fishing, relaxing at the family’s lake cabin, spending time with his wife Dawn, and doing just about any kind of activity with their nine-year-old son, James.

Clay Carufel, Investigations Section

Clay Carufel joined the agency in mid-2021 as a Water Resource Engineer within the Investigations Section. Clay’s responsibilities include managing the lake monitoring network for the section, using hydraulic and hydrologic models to complete preliminary engineering studies relating to surface water topics and flood control, and assisting the survey crew. Effective February 1, 2022, Clay will transition to a different position within the agency and work as the Missouri River Engineer.

He grew up in Bismarck and is a proud graduate of Bismarck High School. Clay is the oldest of five children and has four younger sisters, Clancy, Skylar, Tristan, and Emerson. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from North Dakota State University and received a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth. His Master of Science degree focused on the physics of large lake environments. Clay enjoys a variety of hobbies, including camping, exploring the great outdoors, hiking, skiing, and fishing. He is also an aspiring homebrewer.

Most recently, Clay completed an internship with the National Park Service at San Antonio Missions Historical Park. Clay worked as a Hydrology Assistant through the Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) internship program and conducted fluvial geomorphology research, developed a hydraulic model, and provided recommendations on resource management. Upon completion of his internship, Clay joined the park’s staff as a maintenance worker and helped to ensure that the grounds featured an aesthetic appeal.

Commission Meeting Approvals 

Employment Opportunities