News Release Archive

Reclamation signs Northwest Area Water Supply Project Record of Decision

Media Contact: Patience Hurley, (701) 221-1204

For Release: August 21, 2015

The Bureau of Reclamation today signed a Record of Decision selecting the preferred alternative proposed for the Northwest Area Water Supply Project (NAWS). The project is designed to deliver a bulk water supply to meet municipal and rural water needs of people in northwestern North Dakota.

The Record of Decision was signed by Reclamation's Great Plains Regional Director Michael J. Ryan, and would implement the preferred alternative identified in the NAWS Project Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

"The project was authorized because existing water supplies are not of sufficient quality or quantity to reliably meet current needs or projected growth," said Ryan. "This decision marks another step in our efforts to bring reliable, quality water to the people of northwest North Dakota."

The selected alternative, which was evaluated in the SEIS, uses Lake Sakakawea as the primary water supply. Reclamation's Snake Creek Pumping Plant, located along U.S. Highway 83, will be modified to serve as the intake for the project. Water from Lake Sakakawea will be conveyed in a buried pipeline to a biota water treatment plant (WTP) near Max, North Dakota which will treat the water using conventional treatment processes. From there the water will be conveyed through another pipeline segment to the Minot WTP. At the Minot WTP, Missouri River water will be blended with groundwater and treated to meet Safe Drinking Water Act regulations before being supplied to project members through a distribution system.

"This is a culmination of local, state and federal entities partnering together to manage and develop water resources in an environmentally sound manner," said David Rosenkrance, Reclamation's Dakotas Area Manager.

The signing of the Record of Decision completes the requirements for the National Environmental Policy Act. It also fulfills Reclamation's obligation under a court order related to an ongoing lawsuit filed in the United States District Court. The lawsuit was filed by the Province of Manitoba and the State of Missouri challenging previous environmental studies completed for the project. Because of the ongoing litigation and the injunction in place preventing any construction activity on NAWS, the District Court for the District of Columbia, will need to rule on the adequacy of Reclamation's environmental analysis pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act before construction could move forward.

The Final SEIS was released in April 2015 and is available for download at www.usbr.gov/gp. The Record of Decision is also available on this same website or upon request by contacting Alicia Waters at (701) 221-1206 or awaters@usbr.gov.

For additional information please contact Patience Hurley, Bureau of Reclamation, at (701) 221-1204 or phurley@usbr.gov.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.