Northern Red River Flood Study

For many decades, flooding issues have plagued the Red River Valley. The Red River of the North (Red River) drainage basin is the remnant flat lakebed of the former glacial Lake Agassiz. The Red River originates at Wahpeton, North Dakota, and Breckenridge, Minnesota, at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Ottertail Rivers and flows north into Manitoba, Canada. Land use in the basin is approximately 75 percent agricultural, with about 66 percent of the basin used as cropland.

The Red River gradient varies from slightly over one (1) foot per mile south of Grand Forks, North Dakota, to about 0.2 foot per mile from Grand Forks, North Dakota to the Canadian border. The flat gradient affects flow through the river and can contribute to flooding. The severity of any given flood can vary from one part of the Red River basin to another. The actual damages incurred can also vary depending on the flood and location in the basin.

Many climatic factors affect spring flooding, however, the most important variables in the Red River Valley are moisture input (moisture content in the soil, snowpack, and rainfall) and spring melt patterns. Many of the largest floods along the Red River mainstem are caused by spring snowmelt events associated with rapid snowmelt and additional precipitation. With respect to flooding, the two most important physical features of the basin are the northern flow direction and the very flat river gradient. Generally, the basin's spring snowmelt begins in the south (headwaters) before melting has begun in the north, causing floodwaters to move up the tributaries, which promotes ice jams. This condition can cause water levels on the Red River to be high when the tributary peaks arrive.

Throughout the Red River basin, numerous flood risk reduction projects have been implemented in the last decades to address riverine flooding. A few of these near the Northern Red River Flood Study Area, between Oslo and the international border, are levee, floodwall, and bypass channel projects around Oslo (MN), Alvarado (MN), Pembina (ND), and Grafton (ND).

The flooding of the Red River impacts large portions of Minnesota and North Dakota. Many roads and bridges are frequently overtopped in this area which have had a substantial effect on transportation agencies, users, and the surrounding communities, forcing vehicles to follow detours, limiting access and service across the region, and requiring roadway monitoring, cleanup, and repairs. During periods of flooding, detours may be required for several weeks. The seasonal disruption has resulted in questions regarding improvements that can be made to roadways and bridges to alleviate flooding impacts to the area.

This region of the Red River Valley consists of a very flat, wide and complex floodplain with a vast network of levees, roads, bridges, and other features that affect flow through the floodplain. Any modifications to the system, including changes to roadways and bridges, can have widespread impacts. These impacts need to be identified and quantified using models which will then be used to determine necessary mitigation strategies before moving forward with the implementation of modifications to transportation infrastructure.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is working in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to gain a better understanding of what can be done to improve transportation in the Northern Red River Valley during flooding events. The focus is on some of the major transportation corridors, with the study area extending from approximately Grand Forks, ND to the Canadian border.

Both agencies requested USACE Planning Assistance to the States and Tribes (PAS) funding for technical services and planning guidance to aid efforts in a flood study of the Northern Red River Valley. Technical assistance by the USACE includes bathymetric survey of the Red River (completed under separate PAS agreement with ND Department of Water Resources), hydrologic and hydraulic modeling including updates to existing models of this portion of the Red River Valley, evaluation of project alternatives and definition of mitigation strategies, and climate assessment.

NDDOT and MnDOT both recognize the need to make infrastructure improvements in this region; The Northern Red River Flood Study will be used to inform decisions related to transportation infrastructure improvements.

The study area extends from approximately Grand Forks, North Dakota to the Canadian Border, including sections of I-29, ND 54, ND 5, MN1, MN317, MN175 and MN220 that have been identified by NDDOT and MnDOT as the priority transportation corridors for the focus of the study. Leveraging existing information, past studies and modeling, and input from stakeholders, the team will evaluate existing conditions and potential alternatives and corresponding mitigation strategies to alleviate impacts of flooding on Interstate and State Highways within the region.

Please explore the Northern Red River flood study web map below and submit a comment to flag areas of concern and known issues around the priority corridors.

The Northern Red River Flood Study is a multi-year study, with several points during the process where we will be providing study updates and requesting input/feedback. 

There will be virtual meetings with an established Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of agency representatives from this portion of the basin. Additionally, there is a comprehensive list of stakeholders within the Northern Red River study area to inform them of the study and goals and requesting any studies, data, or other information that may be available for this part of the watershed along the priority transportation corridors to inform the next phases of the study. Finally, there will be several in-person public meetings held throughout the study to provide updates and share information.

Public input meeting/open house was held Monday, October 21, 2024 from 5-7pm CDT Minto Community Center, 114 Harvey Ave, Minto, ND 58261.

•  Public Meeting Boards 

•  Presentation Sides 

•  Presentation Recording 

• Please complete  Title VI Public Participation Survey here .

Comments may be submitted via:

• Web map accessed on the study website through November 4, 2024
• Written comments must be postmarked or emailed by November 4, 2024 with "Public Input Meeting - PCN 24019" in the letter heading or email subject. Send all comments to:

Jennifer Koehler Barr Engineering, 4300 MarketPointe Drive, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55435 or email:  jkoehler@barr.com 

If you have questions, please reach out to:

Matt Metzger (Public Outreach Lead),  mmetzger@barr.com 

Jen Koehler (Project Manager),  jkoehler@barr.com