The Red River is unique due to its low gradient and northward flow. These features also lead to a high flooding risk. Ice melt comes earlier in southern regions, causing ice jams and other conditions that result in flooding nearly every year. This makes the Red River Valley one of the most flood-prone areas in the U.S.
Extreme precipitation, two inches or more, has increased in frequency since 1990 and has worsened further since 2015.
Red River flooding in 1997 demonstrated the devastating effects a disaster can have on a single metro area. Damages in Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota amounted to $3.5 billion (over $6.4 billion when adjusted for inflation). Knowing that a 100-year or 500-year flood event would likely cause even greater damage to the more-developed Fargo-Moorhead metro area puts flood protection measures in perspective as a worthwhile investment.
Together, as a coalition of stakeholders and leaders on both sides of the river, we are working to bring permanent, reliable flood protection to our community.
The MFDA is responsible for ensuring the safe and timely construction of the FM Area Diversion. Our public-private partnership, or P3 approach, is the first of its kind for flood management projects in North America. We are working together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Red River Valley Alliance (RRVA), cities of Fargo and Moorhead and Cass and Clay counties to drive construction. Our target for delivering permanent, reliable flood protection is 2027.
RESOURCES
The MFDA is led by 13 board members who represent: Fargo, West Fargo and Cass County in North Dakota, Moorhead and Clay County in Minnesota, and the Cass County Joint Water Resources District.
Committees and subcommittees within the MFDA Board oversee areas such as finance, land management and planning.
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