WASHBURN, N.D. (AP) - Residents of a central North Dakota city are celebrating the expansion of a local wildlife management area - and flood control measures that come with it.
A flood control project is expected to be part of the expansion of the Painted Woods Wildlife Management Area in Washburn, The Bismarck Tribune (https://bit.ly/2poNyj0 ) reported. The flood-control element is what brought local officials, farmers and ranchers out in support a little over a year ago.
“Our initial involvement was to protect private property,” said McLean County Commissioner Steve Lee. But he noted that the added wildlife habitat makes for “a wonderful dual-purpose project.”
Backed-up water flowing into Painted Woods Lake has been flooding adjacent farmland for about six to eight years. The flooding is due to years of silt buildup and 10- to 12-foot-tall cattails restricting drainage into the lake.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department Director Terry Steinwand, whose department will manage the land, said he’s anxious to build the flood control as soon as possible. The department also plans to backfill the incorporated area of Painted Woods Creek with more water to create a community fishery, stocking it with trout and bluegill.
“A lot of it comes down to funding,” Steinwand said.
McLean County has tried to mitigate damage to neighboring lands. The acres of land were purchased by the county, and several state and wildlife advocacy group partners to build drainage infrastructure.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, https://www.bismarcktribune.com
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