Mainstem Modeling:
The Red River Mainstem Mike 11 model will be run for the 1997 flood. A target percent reduction goal for each of the seven mainstem points will be used as a basis for the modeling effort. This percent reduction will be determined based on the experience and guidance of the RRBC-Red River Basin Hydrology Team (RRBHT). At this time a 20% reduction at each mainstem location is being explored as a starting goal.

The model will be run to develop target flow reductions for each tributary contributing to the seven mainstem points for the 1997 flood.  This will provide a reduction goal for each tributary that cumulatively will provide the mainstem % reduction that is being targeted. There are several goals for the project.

• Tributary Reductions:  Establishing reduction goals for each tributary that will provide a targeted percent reduction goal for the mainstem at each of the seven locations. For example: what would the Wild Rice Watershed in MN and the Wild Rice Watershed in ND  reduction share be to achieve a 20% reduction at Grand Forks?
• Floodway Benefits: Relating the percent reduction goals at the Winnipeg Floodway point on the mainstem to the 100, 500, and 700 flood flow data for the floodway.
• Watershed Strategies:  In each watershed there will be a reduction goal that is determined by the modeling (see i.). This reduction goal will be partially determined by the experience of the hydrologists on the RRBC-RRBHT and their knowledge of what is practical and potentially doable in each watershed.  This will provide general guidance in each watershed regarding reduction strategies.

Drought Scoping Document:
Flooding is often thought of as the most common water issue in the Red River Basin.  However, drought is also a reality for the basin. A drought that would extend from months to years has the potential for an economic catastrophe far surpassing any flood.

In addition the impact on residents, businesses, wildlife and the environment would be equally devastating. The Red River Basin Commission (RRBC) funded this Red River Basin Drought Preparedness Strategy Scoping Document to outline what a fully developed basin-wide drought strategy could include and the resources and timelines needed to prepare such a strategy. This process is intended to explore what can be done now under the current jurisdictional laws, regulations and the lack of any jurisdictional arrangements for managing available water resources during a prolonged drought.

Among the goals of this document are:

• Outline what a fully developed drought strategy for the basin could include;
• Provide costs for preparing the fully developed drought strategy;
• Establish timelines related to the costs;
• Consider and build on jurisdictional water law, existing and planned projects;
• Outline a strategy of information gathering, discussion, and joint policy efforts.

The total cost of development of a drought preparedness strategy for the Red River Basin is estimated at USD $790,000 over approximately 2 to 3 years

Drought Jurisdictional Process:
One of the recommendations from the Basin Drought Scoping Document was the need for a jurisdictional process for dealing with a drought that would grow in length and severity.  This project would identify how policy discussions related to MB, MN, ND, and SD could move forward to define a process that would address water supply issues in event of such a drought if it occurred before additional supplies of water would be in place.  This project document has to be put together with guidance from the jurisdictional water supply working group and is nearing completion so that the policy discussions can move forward.
       * Drought Immediate Process Executive Summary

Drought Conservation/Soft Path:
Another recommendation from the Basin Drought Scoping Document was the need for a strategy that expanded conservation/soft path approaches for public education identifying actions and activities that could be utilized to address a continually reducing supply of water in an extended drought.  This project is underway and documents that will identify strategies for implementation is being prepared by the jurisdictional water supply working group.
     * RRB Water Conservation Planning Outline
    

Assiniboine River Basin Project:
The Lake Winnipeg Watershed is a very large watershed covering much of central Canada along the border and neighboring states on the U.S. side. This watershed includes several major sub-watersheds.  These are: Red River (Assiniboine River); Winnipeg River; and the Saskatchewan River.  These three river watersheds have the potential to work together and strategize on how to compliment activities for the entire Lake Winnipeg watershed.

RRBC and the Partners of the Saskatchewan organized a Lake Winnipeg conference in November of 2007 that led the RRBC board to look toward including the Assiniboine River (the Red River’s major tributary) in RRBC activities.  To guide this decision the RRBC decided to visit with Assiniboine River stakeholders to determine their interests in working together and potentially linking to RRBC.  A report, funded by MB Water Stewardship has been completed based on months of local stakeholder visits and a meeting held in Brandon, MB in late October 2008. This report identifies the interest in the Assiniboine River Basin stakeholders to form an organization to work together, to utilize the RRBC organizational model, and to form their own group but link to RRBC. RRBC will continue to assist them in their organizational stages and work with them afterward. The jurisdictions of MB, ND, and SK will be asked to participate in these efforts.

Winnipeg River Basin Project:
RRBC is working on a Winnipeg River Basin Project that is parallels the Assiniboine River Project in scope and strategy. This project is now underway, and is hoped will eventually lead to a group in the Winnipeg River Basin that the Red, Assiniboine, and Saskatchewan River organizations will all link to completing a Lake Winnipeg watershed network connecting local, provincial, state, and federal stakeholders.: