releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=86f66a27-d8e1-4820-8447-92da4991da6e
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=86f66a27-d8e1-4820-8447-92da4991da6e | Heitkamp Brings Together Minot Officials and OMB, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Officials to Press for Lasting Souris Flood Protection Solutions | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | Meetings Build on Conversations Heitkamp Already had with Army Corps and OMB who want to Discuss Flood Protection for Minot WASHINGTON, D.C. Continuing her efforts to press for permanent flood protection solutions in the Minot area, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp announced that Minots Mayor and City Manager today concluded a series of meetings she arranged between top Minot and federal officials to emphasize the importance of a new study start of the Souris River Basin. Heitkamp arranged meetings this week for Minot City Mayor Chuck Barney and City Manager Lee Staab with top officials at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as key Minority Appropriations Committee staff in the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, Heitkamp met with Barney and Staab to discuss the next steps in securing long-lasting flood protections for Minot. Following the 2011 flood, Heitkamp has been a vocal advocate for permanent flood protection for Minot and the surrounding region, and the meetings follow up on discussions she previously had with the heads of the Army Corps and OMB earlier this year. Yesterday, Heitkamp brought OMB Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy and Science Ali Zaidi whose agency approves funding for new starts to her office to help him gain a better understanding from Barney and Staab of the magnitude of the 2011 floods devastation on the Minot area, and to allow the Minot officials to discuss the need for a study start to identify solutions. Later that day, Heitkamp spoke with Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, the top official at the Army Corps overseeing flood control issues.The Army Corps recommendations are taken directly taken to OMB. Immediately following their conversation, Barney and Staab met at the Pentagon with Darcy, which Heitamp arranged, where the two Minot officials were able to make the case for increased flood protections in their area. Often I consider the 2011 flood in Minot and the surrounding area the forgotten flood but we can change that and bring permanent flood protection to the area, said Heitkamp. Yesterday top-level federal officials came face-to-face with Minot leaders where they truly heard and felt the heartbreaking impact the 2011 flood had on the Minot community. During meetings I arranged with top OMB officials, and top official at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mayor Barney and Lee Staab were able to personally explain how the destruction of 4,100 homes, and the displacement of 11,000 community members just a few short years ago demonstrates the urgency of a new study start of the Souris River Basin Region to shine a light on existing risks, and to find permanent flood control options for the future. Since 2013, Heitkamp has been reaching out to and meeting with U.S. Army Corps officials and calling for a study of the Basin to determine what flood protection is most needed. In September, Heitkamp invited Minot officials to Fargo to meet with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General Thomas Bostick to discuss flood protection in the Minot area. Minot Mayor Chuck Barney and General Michael Wehr the top regional U.S. Army Corps official attended the meeting. The historic 2011 flood in Minot, Ward County, and the Souris River Basin damaged more than 4,100 homes. Flood waters lingered for weeks, displacing more than 11,000 North Dakotans. As the city and region recover and develop strategies to mitigate future disasters, Heitkamp continues to urge the U.S. Army Corps to collaborate with the Minot area on long-term flood protection for the region. In July, Heitkamp brought General Wehr, commander of the U.S. Army Corps regional division overseeing North Dakota, to Minot for the first time to see the impact of the 2011 flood. Heitkamp, General Wehr and local and regional officials discussed the steps the city has taken to better protect residents and the community from future floods and the importance of partnering with the U.S. Army Corps for a successful recovery and permanent protection. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |