January 19, 2022
FM Area Diversion welcomes $437 million appropriation of federal funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FARGO, ND (January 19, 2022) – The Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion project has received an appropriation of $437 million in the US Army Corps of Engineers 2022 workplan, following the recent signing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The awarded funds are intended to finish the construction of the Southern Embankment and its associated infrastructure, which are key to providing the region with permanent flood protection by 2027.
This appropriation will pave the way for awarding the contract for the Red River Structure, which will control Red River flows during major flood events. It will be the largest single construction package for the USACE’s component of the FM Area Diversion. Previous federal appropriations have enabled construction to start on the Diversion Inlet Structure and the Wild Rice River Structure, which are expected to be completed by 2023 and 2024, respectively.
“Receiving these funds is extremely helpful to our efforts to construct the FM Area Diversion,” said Joel Paulsen, the Metro Flood Diversion Authority’s executive director. “The efforts of Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to advance these funds has made a huge difference, and they are very much appreciated. The funding will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the excellent work they have already begun.”
Cass County Commission President Chad Peterson, who recently assumed the MFDA Board of Authority chairmanship from his predecessor, Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson, said Hoeven’s and Klobuchar’s efforts, in conjunction with Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Representative Michelle Fischbach (R-MN 7th District) made this possible.
“At a time when political partisanship in Washington seems to be at an all-time high, this is evidence that in our part of the country we can still find ways to work together to strengthen our communities, he said.
The FM Area Diversion includes the Southern Embankment, a 20-mile earthen embankment that will prevent flood water from entering the protected area, of which the first three miles were completed in 2022, as well as three control structures. Construction on the Diversion Inlet Structure and Wild Rice Structure are underway near Horace, N.D., and construction on the Red River Structure will begin this year.
The MFDA is the governing authority managing the FM Area Diversion. The project is designed to provide permanent, reliable flood protection to the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. Construction on the FM Area Diversion began in 2017, with expected completion in 2027. For more information, visit FMDiversion.gov.
For additional information or photos, contact info@fmdiversion.gov or Amy Wieser Willson at amy@neonloon.com or 701-367-2231.
