Flood mitigation continues to be a top priority for the Red River Watershed Management Board. Executive Director Rob Sip says while $9 million was secured in this year’s bonding bill, the need for state support remains strong. “We are thankful for the money, but next year it sounds like there’s going to be a potential for a larger bonding bill,” said Sip. “Typically, we can do some of the smaller projects together with our member watersheds at the local level, but once you get into the really large projects, that’s when we need other sources of funding, primarily through the state of Minnesota.” Sip credited northwest Minnesota lawmakers for championing the cause. “Hats off to Senator Jordan Rasmussen and Senator Mark Johnson for really pushing for our projects and making sure there was some money through this bonding bill,” said Sip. “We were initially thinking there’d be zero dollars for flood mitigation, but we’re very thankful and happy about the $9 million.”
