West Fargo’s Sheyenne Diversion project celebrates 30 years

WEST FARGO — While Fargo and Moorhead look ahead to possible major flooding this spring as the F-M Diversion construction continues, West Fargo residents will celebrate 30 years of protection by the Sheyenne Diversion.

The Sheyenne Diversion runs southwest of Horace to north of West Fargo. It was completed in 1992 and rerouted the floodwaters of the Sheyenne River for the first time in 1993.

“Thirty years of having that protection for residents of

By Wendy Reuer | West Fargo Focus

West Fargo is something to celebrate,” Public Works Director Matt Andvik said.

West Fargo Assistant Administrator Dustin Scott said as the flows to the Sheyenne River increase, the diversion by Horace will begin to intercept the water, sending some to the diversion channel which then diverts the water around the cities.

As the area heads toward potential flooding this spring, Scott and Andvik said the Sheyenne Diversion and its levees are prepared to handle the rising water.

The Sheyenne River Diversion from Horace to West Fargo begins southwest of Horace and runs north 7.5 miles to the West Fargo Diversion just south of Interstate 94.

The West Fargo Diversion channel then wraps around the western edge of West Fargo, stretching about 13 miles. The West Fargo Diversion channel carries the flow of both the Horace to West Fargo leg and additional Sheyenne River inflow from south of I-94. The water rejoins the Sheyenne River north of 12th Avenue North, where the flow continues toward the Red River.

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The history of major spring flooding on the Sheyenne River stretches well before the 1990s. The earliest record of major flooding of the Sheyenne was in 1942. The U.S. Corps of Engineers got involved in 1950 when Congress directed it to study flooding of the Red River and its tributaries.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, the U.S. Corps of Engineers focused mostly on the Kindred dam. A committee was formed to study the topic and finally, in 1982, the Corps of Engineers based in St. Paul recommended the Sheyenne River Flood Control Project that would consist of levees and diversion channels from Horace to around West Fargo.

The project took a significant step forward in 1986 when Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act, authorizing the diversion along with a pool raise at Baldhill Dam and the Maple River Dam.

Construction began on the Sheyenne Diversion around 1990 and was finished two years later with a dedication ceremony held Sept. 14, 1992. The following spring, the area experienced major flooding and put the diversion project to the test with its first operations.

The Sheyenne Diversion would operate again during major flooding in 1995, 1996 and recordsetting flood of 1997.

Once the Sheyenne Diversion was in place, it changed the development landscape of West Fargo. Prior to the diversion, the roughly sevenmile stretch of the Sheyenne River was one of the most flood-prone areas of Cass County.

According to Moore Engineering, which was the lead project engineering firm, land adjacent to and several miles away from the river were in the floodplain, which limited West Fargo’s residential and commercial development.

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Scrubs Camp

Once the diversion was complete and tens of thousands acres were removed from the threat of annual flooding, development of West Fargo south of I-94 began to boom.

The diversion was paid for in large part by assessments on properties that benefited from the new flood protection. A maintenance and operation levy remains on the books to keep the channel in good condition.

As the F-M Diverion takes shape, the project is expected to expand flood protection for West Fargo as the Sheyenne Diversion continues to work parallel to the project.

Mayor Bernie Dardis said the city of West Fargo has supported the F-M Diversion, which will not add flood protection for the city of West Fargo, and once complete, development in the northern corners of West Fargo is expected to increase.

“West Fargo remains well protected from the Sheyenne River,” Dardis said. “However, the growth of our city has brought our residents closer to the Maple River, Wild Rice River and the Horace Diversion, which is why it is important for us to engage in the construction of the F-M Diversion.”

Readers can reach West Fargo editor Wendy Reuer at wreuer@forumcomm.com or 701-2415530. Follow her on Twitter @ForumWendy.