The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has added the Fargo-Moorhead (FM) Area Diversion Project to its 2016 work plan. This decision is expected to makes the project attractive for future federal funding.

Congress has assigned US$5 million this year for the project, which has a total investment of US$1.8 billion.

Part of the project will be developed through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. It has been selected by the USACE as a demonstration project that will be implemented using a Split Delivery model. Under this model, the multiple project features will be split into those implemented by the Flood Diversion Board of Authority (FDBA) and those implemented by the USACE.

The majority of the FBDA's features will be delivered through a PPP project, whereas the USACE intends to use traditional design-bid-build (DBB) and design-build (DB) methods.

The project involves the development of a diversion channel and associated infrastructure work package (DCAI WP). With the goal of reducing flood risk associated with a long history of frequent flooding on local streams in the area.

The Diversion Project is a 20,000 cubic feet per second, 36-mile long, 1,500 foot-wide diversion channel with 32,500 acres of upstream staging.

• This plan was chosen after years of diligent study, public input and joint cooperation between the city of Fargo; the city of Moorhead; Cass County, North Dakota; Clay County, Minnesota; the Joint Cass Water Resource District; and the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District.

• The FM Diversion would reduce a 100-year flood event from 42.4 feet to 35 feet at the Fargo gage. For reference, the 2009 flood of record peaked at 40.8 feet.

• Though not designed to prevent a 500-year flood event, the FM Diversion would give the area a chance by reducing the river level in Fargo from 46.7 feet to 40 feet during a 500-year event.

• The plan includes 150,000 acre-feet of upstream staging. The staging area would only be used for flood events exceeding a 10-year event, or a 35-foot event in Fargo.

North Dakota Senator, John Hoeven, said:

“Today’s announcement represents an important step for permanent flood protection in the Red River Valley. It marks a federal commitment to move forward with construction. I also appreciate that the Corps has taken this step using P3s, which established as template for the way the Corps will develop and fund future water projects across the country.”