We have reached many completed milestones in the ongoing effort to build the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Control project, as Minot and its partners continue the monumental task of protecting the residents of the Souris River Basin.

Last week’s ribbon-cutting marking the substantial completion of Phase 1 of the overall project was certainly worth celebrating. Phase 1 is a crucial component of the overall project, and includes levees, floodwalls, and the Broadway pump station, which is one of the most visible aspects of the project to date.

We were honored to have many of our partners in attendance at the event, including Sen. John Hoeven, Gov. Doug Burgum, Souris River Joint Board Chairman David Ashley, Col. Kevin Wilson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and N.D. Director of Water Resources Director Andrea Travnicek, as well as representatives from Sen. Kevin Cramer’s office and Rep. Kelly Armstrong’s office. These individuals and their respective offices or organizations have supported this project from the very beginning, and we can’t express our gratitude enough for their leadership and guidance.

There are others, of course, who also continue to play important roles as this project moves forward. Members of the Minot City Council, our area legislators, City of Minot staff members, and a host of other local and state partners have been by our side since the initial design began for the largest infrastructure project in Minot’s history. We will continue to lean on all of them as we work to complete this project.

This week’s gathering was important for other reasons as well. As we move forward with designing and constructing upcoming phases of the flood control project, funding obviously plays a crucial role. To have Hoeven and Burgum in Minot to get an up close and personal view of what we’ve accomplished with their help is vital as we work to secure funding for future phases. It was also important for Minot and its many supporters to interact one-on-one with our legislators, who have been instrumental in securing funding at the state level as we work to protect not only Minot residents, but those living and working throughout the entire Souris River basin

It’s important that we take a moment every once in a while to recognize the progress that has been made on this daunting project. It’s taken an enormous amount of work from our City staff, our community, our state, and our federal partners to reach this point. These moments serve as a reminder on two fronts: To illustrate what can be accomplished when everyone works together toward a common goal, and to remind ourselves of how much work is left to be done

Certainly, we are happy with the work that has been accomplished. We’ve come a long ways since 2011. When the upcoming Maple Diversion phase is completed, roughly 60 percent of our community will be protected. But by no means are we satisfied, because we know there are years and years of hard work ahead of us before the residents of the Souris River Basin are truly protected from the dangers of future flooding. Our commitment to completing this project as timely and economically efficient as possible hasn’t wavered.

If Minot is to continue to thrive and grow, it’s absolutely necessary that we protect ourselves as best we can from another event like we endured in 2011; this project represents a commitment to not only Minot’s future, but to the ongoing prosperity of the entire basin. We’re confident that all of our partners share our commitment to completing this once-in-a-lifetime project, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.

Sincerely, City Hall

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