Over the last several months, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has wrapped up multiple 2022 initiatives, kicked off our participation in the 2023-2025 legislative session, and continued development of updating dam safety guidelines following administrative rule changes.
Overall, DWR had a very busy and productive year in 2022. Accomplishments included:
- Continued progress on the Northwest Area Water Supply and the Southwest Pipeline Projects.
- Completed a year-long effort to update the State Water Commission’s Cost-Share Policy and the Project Prioritization Guidance which will be implemented for the 2023-2025 biennium. As part of the new policy, water supply project sponsors seeking construction funding will be required to provide Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) and demonstration of local long-term funding support of that infrastructure with their applications. In the coming months, staff and Commissioners will be working on guidelines related to asset inventories and CIP to assist sponsors.
- Greatly improved North Dakota’s ability to monitor our state’s water resources through innovation, including management of 368 PRESENS (Pushing REmote SENSors) units across the state.
- Provided $1.2 million in reimbursements for 340 drought resiliency projects for ag producers through the Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply Assistance Program.
- Provided $116.5 million in State Water Commission project approvals through the Cost-Share Program that supported water supply, flood protection, water conveyance, and general water projects across the state.
- Completed a water development planning process through extensive public outreach, cooperation and coordination efforts involving water project sponsors and managers. It included over 400 requests and over $1B of requests in state funding for the 2023-2025 budget cycle.
Further details related to last year’s accomplishments can be found here.
The 2023-2025 Legislative Session is officially in full swing. Our budget bill (SB 2020) started on the Senate side and has spent most of the time in the Education and Environment subcommittee with Senator Sorvaag as the chair. Most of the discussion has centered around the buckets that include funding for various types of water projects across the state. The Executive Recommendation can be found here. In addition, optional packages this session have focused on innovation and technology and resources that will assist in backlogs related to regulatory permitted processes. The Executive Recommendation for optionals can be found here. Finally, the Executive Recommendation also includes a market equity proposal that will assist in recruiting and retaining team members.
In addition to the legislative session, DWR continues to work towards updating dam safety guidelines. Following implementation of the updated administrative rules that went into effect January 1, 2023, the Regulatory Division will be seeking input and comments related to the DWR’s proposed updates to dam design guidelines for North Dakota dam owners. The guidelines seek to modernize dam design considerations and parameters that advance the dam design practice statewide. DWR will consider all input and comments received and plans to issue final guidance mid-to-late 2023.
Finally, DWR continues to stay engaged in national concerns related to drought, including the interest of several water-depleted western states that continue to express interest in the Missouri River system as a supply option. This reality is a reminder that we must remain committed to working together to put Missouri River water to beneficial use for our citizens and economy. If we aren’t able to utilize the amazing resource that is the Missouri River, other non-Missouri basin states will surely attempt to do just that.
Again, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of the DWR team members.
Commissioner’s Corner
This is such an exciting time of year. If you live in this country, you have to enjoy the things that North Dakota has to offer. It is meeting season! It seems like every organization has chosen this two-month period to go over how the previous year was and what to look forward to in the coming year. What a great winter indoor activity. Hopefully, everyone is also enjoying family, travel, outdoor activities, and many other things, but my point is, the work that goes into what many of you do does not stop. It takes a great deal of planning and feedback to lay the groundwork for a successful system, project, municipality, or department.
The challenges that are faced with laying this groundwork are many. With rising costs on seemingly everything, planning becomes more important than ever. We all get numb to the numbers we deal with on a daily basis. While this can become commonplace, I think the challenge is to make sure this does not happen. Expenses mean something to those that are asked to pay them. We all have to be good stewards of money and resources so that they mean something to the people they are intended to help. Efficiency and value may seem like fleeting qualities but it is something to strive for.
We on the State Water Commission have recently emerged from a very important time in our planning process. The process of the policy discussion and comment period was a very important and rewarding one. In addition, we participated in all of the basin meetings this summer. This was a very valuable time to listen to what is needed in the present and future and set in motion tools to make that happen. DWR and their staff did a fantastic job facilitating this for us and I am certain the results will be rewarding.
From this process and conversation, a couple of important things emerged. The Water Development Plan takes shape and puts on the radar what will be needed on a statewide basis in the days, months, and years to come. The policy discussion leads to dialogue about what is needed to facilitate good projects on the local and state level. One of my big hopes is that everyone felt like their voice was heard. One of the greatest compliments I think any of us could be given is that we listened.
One area I think we can do better in the future is feedback. Looking into projects that have been completed and are in construction can yield many benefits. The construction process and project development have become much more dynamic and I think there are many things to be learned by looking at projects and seeing what worked and what did not. This information can be used to find the best possible outcome and possibly help future projects be more efficient and valuable.
We also just wrapped up Super Bowl season, and to those that are rabid football fans, it’s a great time of year. It is especially exciting if your team of choice was still playing for a championship. I learned from a young age to not pin my hopes and happiness on the team in purple from Minnesota. They are fun to watch, but heartbreak seems to be a constant. I have also told my kids to not pin their hopes on the Vikings. Everyone wants their children to make good choices in life. Choosing a team to root for that won't always leave you heartbroken should be one of those choices. I consider this good parenting.
It has been very rewarding and valuable working with you all and I look forward to continuing that in the future. We are all here for you, and your success is our success. Let's work together to make the resources of North Dakota productive and meaningful for its people.
DWR Team Member Acknowledgements
Several DWR team members were acknowledged for their work during the annual DWR 2022 Holiday and Awards Celebration.
Years of Service Awards are given to team members who have served the state for three years and multiples of five.
3 Years
- Michaela Halvorson
- Joshua Wert
- Lori Noack
- Andrew Gorz
- Duane Pool
5 Years
- Abby Ebach
- Samantha Swanberg
- Kelsey Huber
- Christopher Colby
10 Years
- Patrice Power
- Tia Jones
- Laura Horner
15 Years
- Chance Nolan
20 Years
- Darron Nichols
30 Years
- John Brintnell
- Dawn Martin
Outstanding Performance Awards were given out to team members who went above and beyond in 2022.
- Laura Ackerman
- Kati Arneson
- John Brintnell
- Dale Binstock
- Clay Carufel
- Clint Cogdill
- Chris Colby
- Sarah Felchle
- Michaela Halvorson
- Matt Lindsay
- Del Nordrum
- Mark Schneider
- Perry Weiner
- Ryan Wolbert
- Jeff Trana
The Excellence In Teamwork Award was earned by the Cost-Share Program Team
- Jeffrey Mattern
- Beth Nangare
- Lori Noack
- Duane Pool
- Julie Prescott
- Pat Fridgen
The team demonstrated attention to detail, valuable project management knowledge and skills, and outstanding time management related to administration of the Cost-Share Program.
Leadership Everywhere Award
Chance Nolan earned the Leadership Everywhere Award for embracing the principals of leadership everywhere by routinely demonstrating the Department of Water Resources’ core value of providing service to others through the utilization of his unique skills and knowledge to help co-workers and Team ND members enrich their individual and collective talents and to be successful in their endeavors.
DWR Professionalism Award - TOP HONOR
Andrew Nygren earned DWR's top honor - the Professionalism Award! Andrew consistently sets new standards for the Water Appropriation Division and our agency. He's the first to step up to face new challenges with a constructive approach that has led to the development of policy, procedures, and tools. He is a respected and helpful coworker known for working long hours to keep DWR running smoothly.
In addition to the DWR awards, Jeffery Mattern earned the ND Rural Water System Association's Friend of Rural Water Award at their annual conference held at the end of January in Bismarck. Jeffery was presented with a plaque and was recognized for his support and actions that have helped improve water quality to all citizens of ND.
Congratulations to these and the rest of our staff on a great 2022!
Missy recently joined the agency as a Human Resources (HR) Business Partner. She serves as a strategic partner to agency leadership and is responsible for setting the HR strategy and programs to advance agency objectives.
Missy grew up in Bismarck and graduated from Century High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources from Valley City State University.
Missy has fifteen years of experience working in various roles in HR. Most recently, she managed day-to-day operations in the HR department at Bobcat. She supervised, trained, and mentored team members. She aided their recruitment and retention, employee relations, performance management, employee engagement, and policies.
Missy and her husband Kurt have two kids, Dylan (14) and Teagan (11). Missy enjoys sports. She loves the Green Bay Packers, UNC Men’s basketball, UConn Women’s basketball, and always cheers at her kids’ sporting events. She loves being outdoors and in the summer you can find her floating down the Missouri River on her pontoon. She also enjoys exercising and cooking new recipes with her husband.
Stephen recently joined the agency as a Hydrologist II in the Water Appropriation Division. He evaluates permit applications for conditional permits and perfecting existing conditional permits.
Stephen grew up in Mandan and graduated from Mandan High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from North Dakota State University.
Before DWR, Stephen worked for the Department of Mineral Resources – Oil and Gas Division. He began as the underground injection control supervisor, then worked as a geologist, and lastly the carbon dioxide sequestration supervisor. Most of the work can be summarized as deep subsurface lithology and well analysis, calculating reserves in place, modeling the emplacement of injected fluids or gases, protection of correlative rights, and cross-examination at hearings.
Stephen likes to spend time with his friends and family. He also rows in his spare time.
Tyler recently joined the agency as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Coordinator.
He acts as a liaison between FEMA and local floodplain managers regarding any NFIP-related local ordinance, mapping, or flood insurance. He is looking forward to working with local communities to help them manage their floodplain development.
Tyler grew up in Pierre, SD, and graduated from high school there. He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of South Dakota.
Tyler has worked in state government since 1999. He worked for 13 years as an investigator and probation officer. He then switched to the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management where he responded to, and assisted, local emergency managers with multiple flooding disasters. He was promoted to a supervisory position overseeing the NFIP Coordinator. During that time, he learned to appreciate many of the intricacies of the NFIP Program.
Tyler and his wife Lynn have three daughters, Reagan (19), Paige (15), and Reese (10). Tyler enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time at his in-laws’ farm near Mobridge, SD.
DWR Legislative Update
We are almost halfway through the legislative session. It’s still far too soon to start predicting the future, but here is a snapshot of what DWR is tracking:
- Of the 960 bills and resolutions filed, DWR is tracking 81 bills and 2 resolutions.
- 75 of these bills have the potential to affect agency activities while the remaining eight may affect team members directly.
- DWR prefiled seven policy bills. All seven of these bills have passed either the Senate or House.
- Two of these bills are related to state notification of federal actions: SB 2097 Wild and Scenic River Designations and HB 1077 Water Storage Contracts.
- Five bills are from the Governor’s Red Tape Reduction initiative: HB 1072 Atmospheric Resources Board Operations, HB 1073 Operating Plans for Dams, HB 1074 Informational Hearings for Water Permit Applications, HB 1075 Cancellation of Water Rights Process, and HB 1076 Dike Permitting.
- DWR has, or will testify on 24 bills that have the potential to directly affect agency operations. In favor: 17, Neutral: 7
We continue to work closely with legislators, team members, and other stakeholders in the development of water policy for the benefit of North Dakota. For more information on the various bills we’re tracking, go to dwr.nd.gov.
Passage of FLOODS and PRECIP Act Important Step in Flood Risk Analysis
Two important pieces of federal legislation, the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act, and the Providing Research and Estimates of Changes In Precipitation (PRECIP) Act, were passed by the House and the Senate in the final hours of the 117th Congress in December 2022.
Overall, the FLOODS Act is intended to “establish an integrated flood information system” within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The bill has 17 sections. Perhaps most notable is Section 12 “Estimates of precipitation frequency in the United States,” which authorizes and directs federal funding through the year 2030 for NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS) to update and nationalize the Atlas 14/15 extreme precipitation frequency Atlas. Central to this effort is the new requirement for precipitation estimates to be based on future conditions, providing data that can be used by agencies, engineers, planners, and the public to support infrastructure and land use planning and management decisions. An updated and improved Atlas 14/15 is a necessary tool to update FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood risk maps.
While the FLOODS Act will provide useful information about extreme precipitation patterns, it is unknown how the future conditions component may be leveraged for floodplain management and the NFIP.
The second key FLOODS Act section is Section 13 entitled “Interagency Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure." This section establishes a federal cabinet-level “Water Policy Committee,” directed to meet at least six times annually to ensure that water-related agencies improve their coordination regarding data collection, management, and forecasting information, particularly where agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities.
The PRECIP Act directs NOAA and NWS to work with the National Academies of Science to develop and improve methodologies for estimating extreme precipitation and to make Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) estimates of precipitation events that could generate floods of such magnitudes that threaten the integrity of dams, water infrastructure, or critical power plants. The Department of Water Resources agrees with this priority and is grateful the State Water Commission funded an update to the North Dakota PMP values in 2019.
Extreme rain events have the potential to cause significant and widespread damage. Understanding the potential risks will help develop emergency operations plans and identify potential mitigation projects.
Happy Retirement
Congratulations to John Brintnell on his retirement! We celebrated his last day with us by firing up the grill.
John spent 30 years serving the State of North Dakota, including 14 years at the State Water Commission/Department of Water Resources.
As a Human Resource Officer at DWR, John was always a team player, going above and beyond for the agency’s employees. He had an open-door policy and was always willing to assist in any way he could.
Thank you John, and happy retirement!
Water Development Plan & Dashboard
The first ever web-based version of the Water Development Plan (WDP) is live on the Department of Water Resources’ homepage. In previous biennia, the WDP was printed as a paper booklet and was shared online as a single downloadable file.
The new dashboard-style layout has several advantages over the previous versions, including interactive charts, the ability of staff to update material as new data becomes available and in response to changing conditions, and the ability for everyone to access updated information from their phone or computer at any time.
Some of the information available through the WDP Dashboard includes:
- Updated water development objectives and goals,
- 2023-2025 water development financial needs,
- Large project summaries and updates,
- Estimated long-term water development financial needs – including comparisons with various revenue streams,
- Purpose funding updates, and
- Revenue and loan source information.
The new WDP Dashboard is posted on the DWR homepage. Check it out!
Commission Approvals
At their December 9 meeting, the State Water Commission (SWC) approved cost-share requests for multiple projects totaling $31.5 million in state funding, which could ultimately include the use of State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
At their February 13 meeting, the SWC approved cost-share requests for multiple projects totaling $40.3 million in state funding. The Water Commission also approved additional federal Municipal, Rural, and Industrial (MR&I) Program funds of $7.4 million for the Northwest Area Water Supply Project.
Credits:
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