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Moorhead wins $10 million state flood mitigation appropriation; diversion to match funds as city eyes remaining $30M
Summary
State lawmakers approved a $10 million appropriation for Moorhead flood mitigation included in the Capital Investment Omnibus Bill; city staff say the FM diversion has pledged to match that amount 1:1, but officials say an additional $30–32 million will still be needed to finish projects.
Moorhead has secured $10 million in state capital investment funding aimed at flood mitigation, Governmental Affairs Director Lisa Bode told the City Council on May 26.
"The amount was $10 million, which the FM diversion has indicated that they will match with another $10 million one to one," Bode said, describing the appropriation included in the Capital Investment Omnibus Bill.
Why it matters: The combined $20 million would significantly advance long-stalled mitigation work in Moorhead, officials said, but it would not complete all needed projects. Bode told the council that an additional $30 to $32 million is required to finish the full scope of work.
City context and next steps: Bode said the diversion authority's match plus the state appropriation mean Moorhead projects can move forward after 17 years of advocacy and planning. She also outlined ongoing federal advocacy: a congressional-directed spending request advanced by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar could add as much as roughly $5.6 million, and a smaller federal request for wastewater improvements—$850,000—has moved past a House committee step, Bode said. ‘‘We just, we're launching our ship in every wave,’’ she told the council.
Officials cautioned that some federal requests remain uncertain. Bode said funds not used for Moorhead-specific projects would flow to county and watershed priorities that support diversion permitting and FEMA recertification, and she noted that final federal awards are subject to congressional approval.
What council members asked: Council members sought clarification about the federal advocacy and how the $850,000 would be used; Bode said it was proposed for sanitary lift stations and emphasized that the overall wastewater capital program is on the order of tens of millions of dollars (she referenced a roughly $40 million estimate for that whole project).
Procedural note: Bode said the city will regroup in the interim to pursue the remaining funding and will work with the council on 2027 legislative priorities later this year. The council took no formal vote on project specifics during the May 26 meeting.
