May 9, 2024

Corps of Engineers hosts open house for Oxbow-Hickson-Bakke ring levee project

Media Contacts:
Liz Stoeckmann: 651.290.5201, 651.515.0298, elizabeth.a.stoeckmann@usace.army.mil
Patrick Moes: 651.290.5202, 651.366.7539, patrick.n.moes@usace.army.mil
Melanie Peterson: 651.290.5679, 651.315.4537, melanie.m.peterson@usace.army.mil

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, invites the community to attend an open house to learn more about the upcoming Oxbow-Hickson-Bakke Ring Levee project May 15, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Hickson Community Center in Hickson, North Dakota.

During the open house, attendees will have an opportunity to engage representatives from the Corps of Engineers, the Metro Flood Diversion Authority, and the contractor, Hendrickson Transportation, LLC, on the work and schedule for the project. There will be no formal presentation.

The ring levee project is part of the Fargo, North Dakota/Moorhead, Minnesota, Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project. The ring levee will reduce the risk of flooding for the North Dakota communities of Oxbow, Hickson and Bakke, all located in the upstream staging area of the project.

The levee project is the final phase of construction and includes 11,400 feet of levee, a road raise at Main Avenue, storm and sanitary sewer piping, riprap placement and turf establishment. The embankment material for the levee will come from the two interior north and west drainage ponds located adjacent to the Bakke community. Construction is anticipated to begin this month and be complete late summer 2025.

The Corps is working in partnership on this project with the cities of Fargo and Moorhead and the Metro Flood Diversion Authority. This project provides flood risk reduction for nearly 260,000 people and 70 square miles of infrastructure in the communities of Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Horace and Harwood.