Category: Flood
Inside the Flood Fight, Part 3: Many Variables Make Flexibility Key
Experience and technology help Moore’s water resources engineers predict what is likely to happen during a flood event. Yet, every flood event is different. There are many reasons for this, and this final installment of “Inside the Flood Fight” (see part 1 and part 2) explores some of the variables that make flexibility a key … Read More
Inside the Flood Fight, Part 2: Spring Conditions Prompt Action
After a winter of monitoring moisture conditions and preparing as much as possible [see Part 1], area water experts have a pretty decent idea whether there is reason for concern when the spring melt begins. This edition of Inside the Flood Fight, part two of three, explains how Moore’s water resources engineers experts go to … Read More
Inside the Flood Fight, Part 1: Preparations Begin Well in Advance
Spring waters are receding in the Red River Valley after reminding us all of the potential for catastrophic flooding. Some areas were impacted more than others, but for the most part, the preparations made since the last event several years ago seem to have been a big improvement in averting risk. This blog is the … Read More
Drainage and Watershed Timing in the Red River Basin
The following article was originally published in North Dakota Water magazine’s March 2019 issue. The relationship between surface drainage and flooding is often misunderstood. Logic would dictate that drains move water and therefore cause floods. As with most any water-related topic, reality is far more complex. The purpose of this article is to explain the … Read More
2019 Spring Flooding: Resources and Links
Wondering where to get the latest flood information in your area? You’re in luck! We have curated the following list of resources and links to keep the people we serve informed of this year’s flood fight. Note: This list will be updated as needed on an ongoing basis during the 2019 spring flooding season or as … Read More
Dealing with Disaster
How your local government can best work with FEMA In the Fargo-Moorhead area, the threat of major flooding is the yearly beast that stalks us all. We’ve had our share of it recently, with flooding severe enough for North Dakota to receive presidential disaster declarations fourteen times since 1997. Thankfully, we’ve had a bit of … Read More
Cooperation on water projects leads to progress
Technical details and requirements are vital to a project’s success. But often it’s the human element that makes all the difference. Take the Upper Maple River Dam (UMRD) in Steele County, for example. It’s a unique and significant accomplishment in the water resources engineering world – and not just because of the details we described … Read More
Isn’t “dry dam” an oxymoron?
With the recent completion of the $9 million Upper Maple River Dam and the work being done to improve dam safety in North Dakota and Minnesota, details of dam design might have you swimming with questions. If you saw the recent news story about the Upper Maple River Dam, you know it is a “dry” dam. Located … Read More
FEMA levee certification reduces need for flood insurance
It’s fall. The ground is frosty in the morning. Those once-beautiful, turning leaves are now on the ground begging to be raked. Asphalt suppliers are shutting down for the season. You might think it’s time for the water resources and floodplain professionals to start booking winter vacations and taking it easy. After all, it’s kind … Read More
Cooperation key to building Upper Maple River Dam
WEST FARGO, N.D. – As eastern North Dakota continues to work on limiting the impact of a major Red River flood, residents along the upper Maple River watershed are anticipating the benefits of a $9 million project that will dramatically reduce their flood risk. The heart of the project is a dam and concrete spillway … Read More