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Watford City, ND | pert near impossible...
The Corps of Engineers owns the river bottoms, up to a certain distance from the shore. What I'm not sure is if it fluxuates or if it remains constant at an elevation from the historical high water mark. In any event, they will not allow pumps of any sort on the shoreline. In fact, you can't even drive a four wheeler legally on the shore. The only irrigation I know of above the Dam is near White Earth Bay, just west of it. (Potatoe) Farmers have grandfathered in the right to irrigate, as I'm TOLD. The only irrigation I've seen is in pivots, but very near the shore. They pump from a shallow depth. Now, further west and then south, on the Yellowstone, you can PTO and eletric irriation pumps backed into the river almost every 1/4 mile on both sides the river. That is becasue they are off of the Missouri River and Corps land. 50,000 acres of Cyrstal beets are grown that way.
I'm originally from W.C., and worked for 5 years spraying weeds from south of Tioga (McKenzie Co side), all the way west and south towards Sidney, MT. I've also had "run-ins" with Corps people while spraying river bottoms, and when I owned a lake place at New Town Marina. Its amazing to me how people with college degrees can go to work for govt agencies like that, and then turn into someone incredibly stupid. | |
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Irrigating out of the Missouri River in North Dakota
