[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6287714,"mediaKeyId","2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd","parentId",2547152,"title","Irrigation groups and water leaders urge sustaining Resources Trust Fund allocations in House Bill 1020","audioSeconds",3594,"startMs",1806000,"endMs",5400000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd&start=1806&end=5400","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd/thumbnail_1806000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6287714/North-Dakota/Irrigation-groups-and-water-leaders-urge-sustaining-Resources-Trust-Fund-allocations-in-House-Bill-1020","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287714-5e6618a3d0bf5009577df211885fc037/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439857&Signature=Afcjy6RNcriIlcZoDFWC49iSTucfbN4pG5f6rUHval65oAeQp0~X3n1I9qum1DahjXDSPIMrcbssCgPOuvWiBdmWL2eCLvm-ObWxgVGaBwBR6tndJ6wrJMph4i0aaX5iPy9L3AdZWuD87gl9pfW1xldLaJCm~h-idCVS47Zf99u00AJilhjXvq19OPvQT5aZcpvIChmrPR0ZC0y2j5WXUZFzHCggvaEJ5pIMS~xxs0eHthoDeMnFDFE7UR-pcITeVqk-mKBVg6puu9ytVzX2Csq-wDGGZU~wVg59NKrRtvm-v4d6C97Z~uNJcaZP6D~QAXqLVP2dM3VdwRUxcos6cA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives from the North Dakota Irrigation Association, Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and Southwest Water Authority urged the Senate Appropriations Education and Environment Division to preserve funding in House Bill 1020 that supports statewide water development, irrigation projects and revolving financing tools.

Steve Hansen, chairman of the North Dakota Irrigation Association and an irrigator from Ludden, told the committee the association supports House Bill 1020 and state funding for irrigation development. He said a recent study identified roughly 2 million acres of cropland with potential for irrigation, and asked that the legislature maintain roughly $8 million in the “general water bucket” from which irrigation planning and construction cost‑share requests can be funded. Hansen asked the committee to consider $300,000–$500,000 in planning support to enable a handful of irrigation projects to move forward.

James Oderman, chair of the Southwest Water Authority board and a member of the State Water Commission, urged senators to sustain the current 20.5% distribution of oil extraction tax income to the Resources Trust Fund and to support the engrossed version of House Bill 1020. Oderman argued that the Resources Trust Fund underpins construction of municipal, conveyance, flood control and irrigation projects and described program features such as interest buy‑down programs and the state capital repayment mechanisms that return funds to the trust.

Speakers referenced prior appropriations and programs: testimony mentioned Senate Bill 2020 (2023 appropriations to Red River), a state capitalized water infrastructure revolving loan fund (described in testimony as roughly $60 million over 40 years at 2% interest in one program description), and Department of Water Resources / State Water Commission cost‑share programs for shared works such as intakes and main transmission lines.

Hansen asked that funding for irrigation remain available in the general water bucket in the 2025–27 biennium and called for continued support of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District request for $5 million for irrigation development along the McCluskey Canal. Oderman stressed that the Resources Trust Fund’s current distribution is constitutional protection and that reducing the 20.5% share would harm the state’s ability to meet multi‑biennium water needs.

No committee action or formal votes on House Bill 1020 were recorded during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Tuesday, Mar 11, 2025 2:11 PM - 3:47 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of irrigation groups and water authorities urged the Senate appropriations committee to preserve Resources Trust Fund allocations and the funding structure in House Bill 1020 to support irrigation, conveyance and multi‑jurisdictional water projects.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28899,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287718,"Western Area Water Supply Authority seeks $46.5 million for supply, transmission and distribution upgrades",469,3931000,4400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd&start=3931&end=4400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd/thumbnail_3931000.jpg","/articles/6287718/North-Dakota/Western-Area-Water-Supply-Authority-seeks-465-million-for-supply-transmission-and-distribution-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287718-009cc1cfbda3723b06804cab44997ae6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439857&Signature=aZhL4MG0couMQXApLKnTBe6BKchmWZJTtpPkkHqDvy6LC9M-hk5R~rJy-BvtvkacMtdZW4V1gIipPS0OMYQAbFel02V46yXql1SJm6Qs8sWNbRUJcGIogIS3kd3LYnfWlQYUC7nCrXh-N1zTmLLW7HtC3i~IUc9DaOpR-GHKFOI0HAMwobuek8ZkBGk3unBZabD5wHpBZdMHxW8sC0p6tpUGTQ9TvidD3bbLXxlTisJVifCSJ6ogpLqi4ql-czXxUDOMva0e7G3fgIbSSGTsQOfM9Ba6zYxh9qeu-nQKYV-4u9IBrpfabxH~YoIAEYoldmIrnYs5KIZieTKmBwtffQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Doug Anderson, a board member of the Western Area Water Supply (WAWS) Authority, described the authority’s service area, recent growth and a funding request to the Senate Appropriations Education and Environment Division.

Anderson said WAWS serves roughly 70,000 people across a service area of several thousand square miles and provides water to five member entities, including the city of Williston and several rural water districts. He said the system has about 3,100 miles of installed pipeline, multiple treatment plants and storage reservoirs, and a mix of municipal and industrial customers.

WAWS has seen substantial growth, Anderson said, noting an 83% population increase since the authority’s earlier projections and that current service now exceeds initial expectations. “We are providing water services to upwards of 70,000 people — about 10% of the population of North Dakota,” Anderson told the committee, adding that industrial sales historically helped offset costs for domestic customers.

Anderson described three priority areas for WAWS projects: supply and treatment, transmission mains, and rural distribution. He said the authority’s current ask is roughly $46.5 million for supply/treatment upgrades, transmission improvements and rural distribution projects in the 2025–27 period. He asked the committee to continue state partnership and funding, saying WAWS cannot build or finance the program at scale without state support.

Committee members and Anderson discussed historical loan restructuring, the role of industrial sales in project payback and the authority’s ongoing capital needs. Anderson said WAWS aims to sustain and expand rural access and to plan upgrades for future industrial and municipal demands.

No committee vote or formal action was recorded during the presentation.","A Western Area Water Supply board member outlined WAWS’s service area, growth and a $46.5 million request across supply, transmission and rural distribution projects and stressed continued state partnership and funding for future upgrades.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287723,"Southwest Pipeline Project outlines $131.7 million biennial ask, details major treatment plant costs",1670,2199000,3869000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd&start=2199&end=3869","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd/thumbnail_2199000.jpg","/articles/6287723/North-Dakota/Southwest-Pipeline-Project-outlines-1317-million-biennial-ask-details-major-treatment-plant-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287723-3647586a84ca35fc4537a13da3c86a49/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439857&Signature=a6r4zKrKZRXMsO6zay2LW3ejNJTsERhUSDEjEJb914W0rj7ZMRCEUbr0yMMhP~QKAJvyecB8KytcJwbalyOmq2C4b80WbvcXo6QX0efDz4~LmgnE1Ng9KvPcsC0C7mnhqSHdqi35Mmn3O6hliSVLafbs0Zib2DJ-3ooSSWasSHKMrtDLDn1k9XdIfiF3-VBv1tsfk66cAMzFUtkaU0dsS3BKpoRORV4LJAQB5wjBGhYCwihu7SazgTZcL3OOKeQnh5ZWDOh1qkBnUQP0PDMo0LyTCNMwXuHw5t1k2BqnzmJOq7x0P8QxTHQ2-Q5-EBG47M6fIigL-3jm832LHXxk9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jen Murray, manager and CEO of Southwest Water Authority, and Justin Froseth, Southwest Pipeline Project manager for the Department of Water Resources, presented the authority’s project list and budget requests to the Senate appropriations committee and described active construction, capital repayment history and system needs.

“We serve a population of about 58,000, almost 8,000 rural customers, over 5,000 miles of pipe in 33 communities,” Murray said, describing the system as a state‑owned regional water supply that returns capital repayment dollars to the Resources Trust Fund. Murray said capital repayment returned roughly $6.5 million in 2024 and that the project recently returned $100 million cumulatively to the state through capital repayment.

Froseth walked the committee through projects funded in the current biennium and seven projects proposed for 2025–27 that make up a $131.7 million request. He listed the main items as West Zone transmission expansion, a supplementary raw water intake, the Bert/Hebron rural expansion, strategic hydraulic improvements, Ray Christensen pump station upgrades, metallic pipeline replacement and the Southwest Water Treatment Plant expansion.

On the treatment plant Froseth said the total project cost is now estimated at $106 million; he said $40 million was budgeted in the last biennium and an additional $66 million is planned for the upcoming biennium. He told the committee the construction contract has mobilized and that the work will extend over multiple years on a roughly three‑year schedule.

Committee members questioned the widening gap between earlier estimates and current cost expectations. Senator Sorvaugh and others said many water projects are coming in significantly over prior estimates. Froseth attributed much of the difference to inflation on construction costs but acknowledged the difficulty the inflationary environment creates for multi‑biennium budgeting.

Froseth outlined amounts included in the 2025–27 request: approximately $20 million for West Zone transmission expansion, about $16 million for a raw water intake, $13.6 million for the Bert/Hebron expansion, $6 million for strategic hydraulic improvements, $5.4 million for Ray Christensen pump station upgrades and $3 million for metallic pipeline replacement; the treatment plant represents the largest single cost in the package.

Murray and Froseth said system priorities include ensuring transmission capacity does not limit growth, completing targeted distribution and hydraulic improvements so waiting customers can be connected, addressing microbiologically induced corrosion in metallic raw water lines and continuing rural service expansion. Murray said the authority maintains a policy to avoid degrading service to existing customers when adding new connections; if a new connection would reduce flows or pressures below standards it is placed on a waiting list until upgrades are completed.

No committee action or formal vote on the Southwest request was recorded during the hearing.","Southwest Water Authority and Department of Water Resources staff described current construction, repayment history and a $131.7 million request for 2025–27 covering transmission expansion, a supplementary intake, rural expansions and a treatment plant increase.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287728,"Red River Water Supply project officials report construction progress, ask for continued funding",505,873000,1378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd&start=873&end=1378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547152-22c68ba4babe764478021b37f76152cd/thumbnail_873000.jpg","/articles/6287728/North-Dakota/Red-River-Water-Supply-project-officials-report-construction-progress-ask-for-continued-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287728-5c2f4f54d31e0f686bee80264742b530/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439857&Signature=F-nqhpl-YUaO6QRHjleKhRPYHXDnQ109Oa-9NzXPdKE-r~1VGhh0fXWHqedU-cB~GmcCmq8w5XktkZbhhwy42OMlwaKT31gHexLwDRi~EfYggnmX4kBqGMUq-ZLXrX~wNWs9oA2XJkefPy06nEm3WBT7flM3RyMhCBWuQQ2PpwXnXV3i0vB0C2m1fTMaZqB9Q3xQ~t2Y-vnhz4hKO3XvlnrpcEYC1CMX7kfeUkm~zOqI6NBrB-6c0U4m2u~jc3f7gDwxdr4N2N71s3vKXxJjp0lCfZJagxrp0bf0v-4a967pwfA0W~x~5qygxzMG9SWL46fy8R66~NtdmnN-sNEQyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greg Bischoff, vice chair of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District, and West Fargo Mayor Bernie Dardis updated the Senate Appropriations Education and Environment Division on the Red River Water Supply project, reporting active construction and asking for continued state funding to keep the project on a 10‑year schedule.

“The Red River Water supply is a long term emergency water supply and economic development driver,” Mayor Bernie Dardis said, describing the project as a 72‑inch (6‑foot) steel pipeline roughly 125 miles long that is designed to flow about 160 cubic feet per second. Dardis said the pipe is typically buried 7 to 15 feet and the system has the potential to serve nearly half of North Dakota’s population.

Bischoff told the committee he spoke on behalf of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and Lake Agassiz Water Authority to thank legislators for previous appropriations and to introduce project leadership who could answer technical questions.

Officials said the construction program is active: bids have been accepted and contracts awarded for segments of the transmission line, with some sections complete and others under construction. Dardis said that by the end of 2024 eight construction contracts totaling about $270 million had been awarded and that, “by mid‑2025, more than 100 miles of the pipeline will be 100% design.”

Dardis and Bischoff recapped prior legislative support: Senate Bill 2020 in 2023 provided $180 million for the 2023–25 biennium, and speakers described a larger multi‑biennium state commitment and an intended 75% state / 20% local / 5% federal cost‑share on some elements of the program. Dardis said the project partners — Garrison Diversion, Lake Agassiz Water Authority, the North Dakota Water Commission and federal partners — have obligated the $240 million they control and continue outreach to additional user communities.

Committee members asked technical questions about bidding and easements. Project manager Dwayne DeCray (identified in the hearing) said easement acquisition is ongoing and reported the project is approximately 96% through easement procurements; he said the project had not yet required eminent domain in most places but expected one or two remaining cases could require it. DeCray also described seasonal construction constraints tied to frost and mud: some contractors staged materials and aggregate over winter and will begin trenching when frost is out of the ground.

Dardis and Bischoff told senators the draft 2025–27 work plan contemplates roughly $331 million to install approximately 40 miles of pipeline during that biennium and to fund final design for major facilities including the main pump station, ground storage reservoirs, and a water treatment plant to treat water moved across the continental divide. Dardis emphasized that state appropriations from prior sessions have been spent or obligated and asked the committee to continue funding to maintain a 10‑year build pace.

Committee members pressed on cost‑estimate risk and long‑term affordability; the presenters cited the number of users and continued community sign‑ups as key variables for per‑user cost. DeCray and Dardis also noted a favorable bidding environment to date but acknowledged the project remains subject to future market and construction cost pressures.

The hearing did not record any committee vote on Red River funding at this session.","Project leaders told the Senate Appropriations Education and Environment Division that pipeline construction is underway, funds appropriated in the last biennium have been obligated and spent, and the project seeks continued legislative support to stay on a 10‑year build schedule.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Irrigation groups and water leaders urge sustaining Resources Trust Fund allocations in House Bill 1020

Western Area Water Supply Authority seeks $46.5 million for supply, transmission and distribution upgrades

Southwest Pipeline Project outlines $131.7 million biennial ask, details major treatment plant costs

Red River Water Supply project officials report construction progress, ask for continued funding