The Honorable John Ashcroft
United States Senator
316 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Kit Bond
United States Senator
274 Russell Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-2503
The Honorable Mel Carnahan
Governor of Missouri
Missouri Capitol Bldg, Room 216
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Senator Ashcroft, Senator Bond and Governor Carnahan:
The Garrison Diversion Conservancy District certainly respects your efforts to protect the vital water resources of the Missouri River on behalf of the citizens of Missouri. You have repeatedly, and I assume accurately, pointed out that 40 percent of your population depends on the Missouri River for its water supply. In addition, the important navigation industry depends on a certain regime of flows in the Missouri River for its efficient operation. We share those concerns with you.
While North Dakota's population is not as large as yours, we too wish to protect the vital interests of our citizens. Like you, a large percentage of our population depends on the Missouri River for its drinking water. The largest population centers in the state are currently dependent on the Missouri River or are looking for affordable access to a small portion of the river's flows to meet their needs. Together the populations of Dickinson, Williston, Bismarck, Minot, Fargo, Grand Forks and many smaller communities and rural areas represent over 50 percent of North Dakota's population.
Other states along the Missouri River could make similar assertions. Navigation is also an industry which we believe is important to our economic future. North Dakota is an agricultural producer and, as such, depends on low-cost transportation of its products for success. The navigation industry is vital to the success of the agricultural producers, not only in North Dakota but in the entire region.
Since 1944, the Garrison Project, as well as most of the participating projects of the Pick Sloan Missouri Basin program, have anticipated developing a portion of the Missouri River waters for multiple purposes. Many of the plans authorized and re-authorized by Congress and supported by the basin states have included diversions from the Missouri basin into neighboring basins for beneficial service and legitimate needs of the citizens. Originally the Garrison plan authorized in 1944, then re-authorized in 1965 and again re-authorized in 1986 all included plans for diversion of large quantities of water for irrigation. What remains are relatively small diversions for municipal, rural and industrial needs.
While the original plans included a diversion of Missouri River water into Devils Lake, a sub-basin of the Hudson Bay drainage, current proposals include no such plans. In fact, the agreements struck with Missouri in conjunction with the federal authorization for an outlet from Devils Lake specifically prohibit even the consideration of an inlet.
The Bureau of Reclamation has studied the water needs of the Red River Valley. They are looking at all reasonable means to meet those needs by in-basin development, including several different diversion options from the Missouri River. We are hopeful that once the Dakota Water Resources Act is passed that we can, in concert with the federal government, select one or more options that best meet our citizens’ needs. Currently, even the most ambitious projections of total needs would not likely exceed 200 cfs. Surely, you are aware that it would be difficult to measure the impact of such a diversion on the Missouri River anywhere in Missouri or along any of the intervening states. The impact of the 550,000 acres of land inundated by reservoirs built primarily for downstream benefit is easy to measure, and I hope you will acknowledge it is significantly greater than any impact we could imagine from the modest diversion contemplated under the DWRA.
Others along the river also have plans to divert water from the basin; a portion of which will not return to the Missouri River. Over 400,000 acre-feet is diverted into the basin from the Colorado River annually. So we are only asking to be treated fairly. The demand that we not divert any water from the basin is not consistently applied throughout the basin. We only ask that you reconsider demands based on these facts and give us the same privileges others have enjoyed. That is the privilege of meeting the reasonable and legitimate water needs of our citizens with Missouri River water so long as no foreseeable harm will come to others that share and enjoy the river. We must work together in order to wisely manage this important resource.
Sincerely,
Warren L. Jamison
Manager
WLJ/slg
cc:
Steve Mahfood, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Governor Ed Schafer, North Dakota
Senator Kent Conrad, North Dakota
Senator Byron Dorgan, North Dakota