North Dakota Water May 2005

• Year: 2005
• Title: North Dakota Water
• Author: North Dakota Water
• Description: May 2005
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

Upper Sheyenne River Joint WRB manages water basin -wide
By Michael Noone
The North Dakota State Water
Commission has long held the goal
of encouraging and supporting ef-
forts to manage water resources on a
basin -wide basis. Joint water boards
have become a force for positive
change, with groups such as the Red
River Joint Board, the Devils Lake
Basin Joint Water Resources Board,
the BOMMM Board, the Pembina
River Basin Advisor Board, and now
the Upper Sheyenne River Basin
Joint Water Resources Board (Joint
Board).
The Joint Board, which was origi-
nally comprised of just three coun-
ties (Barnes, Griggs, and Nelson) in
MCHENRY _ I _ r"1J� BENSON
PIERCE
Moddwk
^
SNERIDAN V Y/ WELLS
Basin #44
Location
in North Dakota
the Upper Sheyenne River Basin,
has been intermittently active for
over a decade.
In 2003, the Joint Board ex-
pressed interest in including all of
the 12 counties in the Upper Shey-
enne River Basin in their board, and
in getting more involved in water
resource management issues. The
Water Commission worked closely
with the Joint Board, and over the
course of the next two years, numer-
ous meetings were held to discuss
the benefits of managing water on a
basin -wide basis. Through the efforts
of the board's members, membership
of the Joint Board expanded to even-
tually include nine counties, includ-
ing: Barnes, Benson, Eddy, Foster,
Counties of the
Upper Sheyenne
River Basin
NELSON
ORIOO9 STEELS
FOSTER •
Cooperstown
STUTSMAN
BARNES t V811ey
Clty
60" North Dakota State Water Commission
Dale L. Frink, State Engineer
900 East Boulevard Ave. e Bismarck, ND 58505
(701)328 -2750 • http: //www.swc.state.nd.us/
Patrick Fridgen, Editor
The State Water Commission does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or
disability in employment or the provision of services.
Griggs, Nelson, Steele, Stutsman,
and Wells.
The Joint Board developed
a mandate, "To bring the water-
shed above Bald Hill Dam (Lake
Ashtabula) into a partnership in
order to review issues and create
solutions through local, county, state,
and federal cooperation."
Encouraged by the success of the
2002 Devils Lake Basin Water Man-
agement Plan, and having a desire
to develop a vision for future water
management in their basin, the Joint
Board began the process of develop-
ing an Upper Sheyenne River Basin
Conceptual Water Management Plan
in late 2004. The purpose of the plan
is: 1) to define water management
issues; 2) to begin the process of
organizing and prioritizing project
needs; 3) to state objectives for water
resource management in the basin;
and 4) to provide strategies designed
to manage the Upper Sheyenne River
Basin in a manner that best meets the
needs of all interested parties.
Similar to the Devils Lake Basin
Water Management Plan of 2002,
this process will be locally driven
and directed, with local, state, and
federal agencies involved in only an
advisory capacity.
The planning process is well un-
derway, and the Water Commission
is looking forward to providing as-
sistance to help move water manage-
ment in the Upper Sheyenne River
Basin in the same positive direction
that other joint boards have taken
over the years.
North Dakota Water ■ May 2005
18