Department of Water Resources outlines funding gaps, FTE requests and project priorities in hearing on House Bill 1020

The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division opened a hearing on House Bill 1020 with testimony from Department of Water Resources Director Reese Hawes and senior department staff about the agency’s budget request and statewide water‑project priorities.

Hawes said the department’s water development plan identifies the state’s near‑term water needs and that the commission uses that plan as a prioritization tool, but that the State Water Commission ultimately votes on which projects receive funding. “This does not guarantee that the water commission will approve all of these requests,” Hawes said.

The committee heard that the department projects substantial water‑project needs this biennium and over the next 10 years and faces a gap between project needs and resources available. Hawes described a priority system (high, medium, low) used to classify projects and said the executive recommendation includes funding buckets for water supply, flood control, rural water and discretionary purposes but that a shortfall remains.

Why it matters: The discussion focused on whether the department has the staffing, legal capacity and budget structure to move large, multi‑year projects to construction within North Dakota’s limited construction seasons. Lawmakers pressed staff for timelines and for clearer splits between recurring operating costs and one‑time project costs.

Key facts and requests - Agency leadership. Reese Hawes, director of the Department of Water Resources, said the department currently has 93 full‑time equivalent positions and is…