The United States is one step closer to transferring water from the Missouri River to supply the US Red River Valley’s water needs, with drainage all the way north into Manitoba to Hudson’s Bay.
The US Department of the Interior and State of North Dakota have released a Final Environmental Impact Statement with preferred option for the Red River Valley Supply Project. The Garrison Diversion Unit Import to the Sheyenne River was the top choice from the six analyzed.
The Manitoba government has objected over twenty years to US water engineering plans that involve Garrison Diversion and inter basin transfers of waters with risk of effects that flow downstream into Manitoba along the Red River system into Lake Winnipeg and beyond. The Boundary Waters Treaty with referral to the International Joint Commission are mechanisms to deal with the threat to Manitoba through bilateral EA and analysis. These mechanisms have not been utilized.
“None of the options identified to meet the presumed water needs in the Dakotas included first stage water conservation targets. On that basis we have unsubstantiated projected water needs driving inter basin water transfers coming all the way to Manitoba,” said Gaile Whelan Enns, director, Manitoba Wildlands.
View January 2008 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Red River Valley Supply Project (PDF)
View February 4, 2008 Canadian Press article
View February 1, 2008 Bismarck Tribune article
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