The co-sponsors of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP), Garrison Diversion Conservancy District (Garrison Diversion) and the Lake Agassiz Water Authority (LAWA), are eager to ramp up construction again as spring is in the air.
Garrison Diversion awarded Garney Construction the RRVWSP 5B construction contract that will continue the buried pipeline an additional nine miles. The construction will begin southeast of Carrington, North Dakota, and continue east through Foster County, adding onto the existing 1.2 miles of pipeline installed in 2021. Garney intends to begin the 5B portion of the RRVWSP in May; however, construction is weather-dependent in a state where snow in May is rare, but not impossible.
Several key projects are substantially complete, including the discharge structure near Cooperstown, North Dakota. The pipeline near Carrington will be final after ground restoration can be finished when the snow melts. Missouri River Intake Contract 1 is substantially complete with Contract 2 currently at 37% complete. For Contract 2, the pipe for the tunnel is already onsite, push rams are installed, and the sheet pile structure is installed in the Missouri River, though the area is currently being excavated in preparation for the concrete seal plug.
In light of the serious statewide drought conditions that occurred in 2021, Garrison Diversion and LAWA leaders are working on plans to accelerate the construction of the RRVWSP to provide access to the drought mitigation benefits to communities and rural water systems earlier.
The 5B contract will expend the Project’s allotted State funding, so no additional construction contracts will be awarded in 2022. The Project’s co-sponsors will request funding during the 2023 legislative session to continue the progress on the pipeline that will span from the Missouri River near Washburn and continue along Highway 200 to the Sheyenne River. The 72-inch pipe will have the capacity to convey water at 165 cubic feet per second (CFS) during peak demands.