Water Resource Engineer III (Dam Safety Program) - Review construction permit applications for dams and prepare recommendations to the State Engineer, conduct field inspections of dams throughout the state including routine dam safety inspections; and investigation of problems, complaints, or emergency situations, document dam inspection findings, prepare dam inspection reports, and develop recommendations regarding necessary maintenance and repairs, communicate inspection findings, recommendations, and other necessary information to dam owners, determine the hazard classification of new and existing dams.

NDRAM allows users to zoom in and visually display current flood risks, both approximate floodplains from BLE and effective regulatory floodplains from FEMA’s NFIP. This new tool also provides users water surface elevations, flood depths, and the ability to download engineering model data and print customized maps making it useful for planning, mitigation, and disaster recovery actions.

The Base Level Engineering (BLE) data is a FEMA Non-Regulatory product that is meant to provide additional information beyond those products that appear on a FEMA Regulatory Flood Insurance Rate Map. The BLE production approach combines high-resolution ground elevation data, and modeling technology advancements to create engineering models and flood hazard data. These analyses are produced at a large scale as opposed to targeting individual stream reaches. The flood hazard information prepared is based off engineering models that determine base flood elevations, water depth, and water velocity along each stream reach studied.

North Dakota Risk Assessment MapService (NDRAM) – North Dakota Base Level Engineering (BLE) Data

The Water Commission is hosting a project update on December 11 and 12 regarding the on-going statewide, Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) study. The study’s purpose is intended to develop more representative PMP estimates for evaluating flood safety, assessing flood risk, and calibrating event-specific hydrological models.

The focus of the December 11 and 12 meetings is to discuss details of the project, such as storm database, storm maximization, and defining the cool-season events. These meetings will be held in the Water Commission basement conference room and are open to the public. The agenda will be posted the week of December 2. For more information regarding the project visit the Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) webpage.

As directed by the 2017 Legislature’s passage of NDCC 61-03-21.4, the State Water Commission will require cost-share applications for municipal water supply projects to include LCCA results for agency review. Similarly, cost-share applications for flood control or water conveyance projects with a total cost of one million dollars or more, must include a completed EA, with model results, for agency review. This requirement applies to projects receiving cost-share funding after June 30, 2019. Guidance and electronic fillable models to conduct these analyses may be accessed on the EA web page and LCCA web page.

The Current is a quarterly Water Commission and Office of the State Engineer newsletter that provides the latest agency-specific information concerning water development, regulatory and appropriation efforts, water education, policy changes, Commission meeting highlights, and much more.

We hope you find the content useful and helpful.

December 6, 2019 / 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / Ramkota Hotel, Bismarck
Agenda and Meeting Material

February 13, 2020 / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Brynhild Haugland Room, Capitol, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck

April 9, 2020 / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Brynhild Haugland Room, Capitol, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck

June 9, 2020 / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pioneer Room, Capitol, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck

August 13, 2020 / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Brynhild Haugland Room, Capitol, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck

October 8, 2020 / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Brynhild Haugland Room, Capitol, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck

December 11, 2020 / 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel, Bismarck

Reminder – Applications received less than 45 days before a SWC meeting will not be considered at that meeting and will be held for consideration at a future meeting unless specifically exempted by the Chief Engineer.

For information, please contact Cheryl Fitzgerald at the Water Commission (701) 328-4940 or by e-mail.

January 16, 2020

March 12, 2020

May 14, 2020

July 16, 2020

September 10, 2020

November 12, 2020

For information, please contact Cheryl Fitzgerald at the Water Commission (701) 328-4940 or by e-mail.