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Garrison Diversion and the Devils Lake Outlet: The Canadian Position

The outlet from Devils Lake and the completion of features of the Garrison Diversion are two separate projects, but raise the same serious concerns. Canada's and Manitoba's long-standing opposition to these projects is based on the costly, unpredictable, irreversible and catastrophic economic and environmental damage which can occur from interbasin diversions of water.

The outlet from Devils Lake and the completion of features of the Garrison Diversion are two separate projects, but raise the same serious concerns. Canada's and Manitoba's long-standing opposition to these projects is based on the costly, unpredictable, irreversible and catastrophic economic and environmental damage which can occur from interbasin diversions of water.

In North America, both Canada and the U.S. have learned the hard way about the irreversible ecological effect and the immense financial cost associated with foreign biota and invasive species. There is no shortage of examples. Zebra mussels, after spreading throughout the Great Lakes have reached the Missouri River through the Chicago Diversion with astounding rapidity and at huge cost. Sea lamprey spread throughout the Great Lakes and devastated the fishery as a result of the Lakes becoming connected to the oceans through the Welland Canal. Eurasian watermilfoil is now found in 37 states and three provinces. Whirling disease has been found in the Missouri system.

It is therefore critical that these projects be fully and comprehensively reviewed under the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Both projects would violate the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty Treaty by polluting and causing damage to Canadian waters.

Canada's concerns regarding the Garrison Diversion Project and the proposed outlet from Devils Lake have been expressed to the U.S. Government at a high level and on many occasions over the last three decades.
Canada is not alone in expressing concerns on these two projects. Other U.S. states such as Minnesota, Missouri and Great Lakes states, share Canada's concerns.

The Government of Canada is working closely with the Province of Manitoba on both of these issues.

Canada's concerns regarding the Garrison Diversion Project and the proposed outlet from Devils Lake have been expressed to the U.S. Government at a high level and on many occasions over the last three decades.
Canada is not alone in expressing concerns on these two projects. Other U.S. states such as Minnesota, Missouri and Great Lakes states, share Canada's concerns.

The Government of Canada is working closely with the Province of Manitoba on both of these issues.

Garrison Diversion

Features of the Garrison Diversion in the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) will divert water from the Missouri/Mississippi basin into the Hudson Bay basin via the Sheyenne and Red rivers.

The overall effect of the DWRA would be a dismantling of the careful compromise represented by the Garrison Diversion Reformulation Act of 1986, thereby diminishing the protection for Canada.

The DWRA revives some of the original Garrison Diversion project features and introduces new ones, which involve interbasin diversions of water into Canada. Moreover, the DWRA deletes from the 1986 Act provisions protecting Canadian waters, including the provision for consultations with Canada. By transferring significant federal oversight to the State of North Dakota, it also substantially weakens the U.S. government's ability to meet its commitments to Canada under the  Boundary Waters Treaty as outlined in the 1986 Act.

The International Joint Commission (IJC), established under the Boundary Waters Treaty, recommended in 1977 against any Garrison Diversion construction which could affect waters flowing into Canada, unless Canada and the U.S. agree that the risk to Canadian waters is either eliminated or no longer of concern.

Nothing has changed since 1977 to suggest that the risk has diminished. Indeed, the opposite is the case. Canada and Manitoba consider that interbasin diversions represent a clear danger to Canadian ecosystems. The potentially harmful effects of transferring foreign fish, their diseases and other biota into Canadian waters, and particularly Manitoba's multi-million dollar fishery, have not been adequately assessed. Compliance with current drinking water standards will not be sufficient to remove the risk of biota transfer.

Devils Lake

Devils Lake is a small, closed system in North Dakota, a sub-basin within the Hudson Bay drainage basin, but not connected to it (no water flows out). Record high water levels have caused extensive damage to the town of Devils Lake. North Dakota has lobbied for construction of an "emergency" outlet which would pump water from Devils Lake into the Sheyenne River, thence to the Red River and into Manitoba. In periods of drought, North Dakota has also lobbied for an inlet, which would draw water from the Missouri River and incidentally require completion of a feature of the Garrison Diversion.

For further information on Devils Lake, please visit:
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