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City, N.D. – Several groups and the city are almost on the same page after the city approved of a resolution to protect Valley City from possible damage caused by Devils Lake outlets draining into the Sheyenne River.

City Commissioner Matt Pedersen everyone worked hard for several days to reach this resolution.

Downstream Ad Hoc committee member Madeline Luke says they don’t agree with everything in the resolution. But she says they believe the key points match many of the groups concerns over the proposed control structures to be built near Devils Lake.

Valley Development Group president George Gaukler says it’s a good resolution that has measure in it to protect the city from a catastrophic  overflow of water from Devils Lake.

Mayor Bob Werkhoven says the resolution is a formal position statement that other down stream cities can look at adopt or revise to their own to submit to the state water commission before construction begins.

Here are the resolutions key points:

1) Supports the Tolna Coulee control structure if it maintains the present natural overflow level of 1458 feet above sea level. If natural erosion occurs, the logs will be sequentially removed to parallel the natural event.

2) If the proper project specifications and operating plan are in place, we will consider supporting the West Stump Lake Gravity Flow Emergency Channel to include a dam at the highest elevation of 1458 feet.

3) Our support assumes Valley City and downstream communities will play an active role in defining and executing the operating plan of the West Stump Lake Gravity Flow Emergency Channel.

4) Requires that the Sheyenne River Valley be treated with the same intensity as Devils Lake and a detailed robust mitigation plan be identified, funded and implemented before excess water from Devils Lake basin enters the Sheyenne River. This should address issues such as increased flooding, erosion and environmental degradation.

5) Support the State Water Commission establishing a policy that prohibits new basin drains and deepening of any existing basin drains that contribute to the Sheyenne River and Devils Lake basins. Further, the State Water Commission should enforce it’s existing drainage policy in the upper basin.