Long Term Flood Solutions - Public Engagement
InCommons Collaboration Challenge
Long Term Flood Solutions - Public Engagement
In 2009, the Red River Basin went through a historic flood fight. The ND and MN state legislatures appropriated funds to the RRBC to recommend a plan of action to address, mitigate and respond to flooding issues in the Red River Basin. The RRBC has been out in many of the Basin communities to ensure all the voices in the Basin are being heard and represented in our report back to the legislature. Engagement of all levels of Basin participation cannot stop here. The RRBC aims to bring together groups from all jurisdictions in the Basin including three states and two countries to work together to solve issues in the Basin through ongoing outreach visits to individual entities, public forums, and tours. This is how we can promote change in the Basin by continuing to visit these entities in the Basin and encouraging everyone to take care of themselves but remember this is much bigger than our individual communities and entities. The RRBC is "the" organization out there educating and communicating this message with the entire Basin. The Basin is working together on many fronts that may not be addressed without the membership and partnerships of the RRBC. The RRBC continues to focus on all communities in the Basin and address their issues based on their needs and concerns. Listening, communicating and educating are the backbone of our efforts. From there we are able to pin point things that can be done in specific areas of the Basin that may have benefits for all. Each year we hold an annual conference offering a basin-wide view of the efforts in the Red River Basin.
About You
About You
First Name
Lance
Last Name
Yohe
Country
United States
About Your Organization
Organization
Red River Basin Commission
Organization Website
Organization Phone
218-291-0422
Organization Address
119 5th St S.
Organization Country
United States, MN, Cass County
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Your Story
Collaboration Title
Long Term Flood Solutions - Public Engagement
Country your work focuses on
United States, MN, Cass County
Describe your locally-based collaboration and the problem it sought to address
In 2009, the Red River Basin went through a historic flood fight. The ND and MN state legislatures appropriated funds to the RRBC to recommend a plan of action to address, mitigate and respond to flooding issues in the Red River Basin. The RRBC has been out in many of the Basin communities to ensure all the voices in the Basin are being heard and represented in our report back to the legislature. Engagement of all levels of Basin participation cannot stop here. The RRBC aims to bring together groups from all jurisdictions in the Basin including three states and two countries to work together to solve issues in the Basin through ongoing outreach visits to individual entities, public forums, and tours. This is how we can promote change in the Basin by continuing to visit these entities in the Basin and encouraging everyone to take care of themselves but remember this is much bigger than our individual communities and entities. The RRBC is "the" organization out there educating and communicating this message with the entire Basin. The Basin is working together on many fronts that may not be addressed without the membership and partnerships of the RRBC. The RRBC continues to focus on all communities in the Basin and address their issues based on their needs and concerns. Listening, communicating and educating are the backbone of our efforts. From there we are able to pin point things that can be done in specific areas of the Basin that may have benefits for all. Each year we hold an annual conference offering a basin-wide view of the efforts in the Red River Basin.
Tell us about the community in which this collaboration took place
The project itself was a result of major flooding in the Fargo-Moorhead area.This area was overwhelmed with water in the 2009 flood and for the most part won the battle.But the 2009 flood was unprecedented and unlike many of the most recent floods.We went out to these communities and others and gathered their stories, frustrations, concerns on future flooding.We need to continue this in the Basin.
Issue Selector
n/a
Partnership
Who was involved in co-creating or implementing your collaboration (other organizations, leaders, community members, etc.)?
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services,Natural Resource Conservation Service(USDA),Federal Emergency Management Agency.
United State Geological Service (USGS),National Weather Service,Farm Service Agency (USDA),,North Dakota Game and Fish,North Dakota State Water Commission,City and County Officials,SWCDs,Transportation,Congressional Offices,MPCA,Engineering Firms,Ag Groups
To what extent does your collaboration involve partnerships that are outside or cross traditional organizational or sector boundaries?
The RRBC has participants and partnerships across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota in the United States and many provinces (primarily Manitoba)in Canada. The participation in our organization resides at all levels from grass roots to local, state and federal participation. This in itself lies our main challenge as there are three different jurisdictions managing this watershed.
Innovation
What makes your locally-based collaboration innovative and unique?
The public engagement aspect of this large project is unique because of the RRBC organization. People view the RRBC as a neutral party and therefore trust that the organization will do its best to make sure their voices are heard. The RRBC has provided the resources at these forums and other events to make sure that people's questions are answered and/or addressed.
This project was innovative because it brought the real issue of flood damage and threat to the residents of the basin which most often is primarily addressed by local, state, and federal public officials. The public had much to offer with their concerns, and potential solutions to help launch the Long Term Flood Solutions project in its beginning stages. We aim to circle back with the public to illustrate how their input was considered.
Did you take risks in establishing this collaboration? Explain
The risk for this specific effort was that the mandate was specific to North Dakota and Minnesota. The concern was that our Canadian partners would feel left out of the effort. However, through parallel projects and partnerships the RRBC has managed to engage the entire Basin to show the importance of what we do in various places in the Basin does and can impact those downstream and upstream.
How did this collaboration differ from the normal way of doing your work?
The recent flooding in the Basin has reaffirmed the need for the role the RRBC plays in the Basin as the comprehensive, all-inclusive, "Umbrella" organization for basin-wide coordination, communication and education. The 2009 flood presented challenges not just for our organization but the entire Basin. As a Basin how do we become more resilient through proactive measures versus reactive?
Impact
How do you know your collaboration has been effective?
There are several key indicators of effectiveness in our public engagement effort:1)Surveys-Over 500 basin residents completed a survey about flooding in their specific areas. People really felt this survey was important to get their ideas and messages to legislators.2)Other groups have formed in the Basin based on their individual interests and have looked to the RRBC for guidance and structure to succeed. Most of these groups have request an RRBC participant to represent the basin-wide perspective.3)The basin-wide perspective has caught the medias attention and is promoted frequently when looking at projects,programs,etc.4)A basin-wide modeling effort has watersheds looking at how their water and holding back their water contributes to the success of fighting floods in the Basin.
What progress or impact has been made?
We have felt the impact of this successful effort on many fronts. There are more organizations bringing their projects to the RRBC for support as they feel that this will make a difference in whether or not their project moves forward. Entities in the Basin come to the RRBC to assist with outreach, education and communication efforts.
Next Steps
How would you go about continuing, expanding, or replicating this collaboration?
The LTFS project is breaking new ground.Our unique position and jurisdictional challenges pose many hurdles to progress and success on water and flood mitigation issues.We are two countries, one Canadian province, three states,in addition to counties, cities, municipalities,soil and water boards,water boards,conservation districts, and townships all with their own prerogatives and agendas.We strive to work around political boundaries to respect hydrologic boundaries.We work with a patch work of authorities armed with and without taxing authority as they struggle to find necessary resources to fund progress.State and provincial governments are limited primarily working within their own jurisdictional boundaries.More than 20 federal agencies operate within the basin in Canada and the U.S.,with some federal agencies in the U.S. having multiple agency regions divided up in the basin with the Red River mainstem often the boundary. International treaties and water law differences also pose challenges to solutions on flooding.We will use this model of collaboration to bridge the many jurisdictions and boundaries.The trust and respect from this collaboration will be a basis for the future
Describe the current stage of implementation and desired next steps
The RRBC has completed the public engagement effort in the Long Term Flood Solutions project. We are currently analyzing the feedback and surveys that were received as a result of the forums to communicate this to legislators. The RRBC wants to continue to engage all groups in the Basin and continue to build and maintain that trust as the "Umbrella" organization of the Red River Basin. Basin residents need to know their voices are being heard and the structure of the RRBC is a great place to do that. The board of directors also consists of individuals representing agencies that are instrumental in moving projects and programs forward that will improve the quality of life in the Basin for now and into the future. The desired next steps are to continue listening, educating and communicating with the Basin but also take into consideration the feedback from these meetings. Once this is looked at, the RRBC can wear their other hat which is to bring the players to the table to discuss these opportunities, needs and discussion items to find a place where we are comfortable moving forward together as a basin. There are a numbers of ways we can do this:
1. Outreach visits to local entities
2. Annual Conference
3. Public Forums
4. Tours of the Basin
5. Representation at meetings
6. Proving a neutral place where others feel comfortable discussing their differences.
7. Providing basin-wide data on our website
All of these things need to be ongoing as the water issues in the Basin are ongoing as well. If we are not fighting too much water, we could be fighting too little water.
As we work on the next phase of this project, implementation of proposed solutions, in the immediate and long term future, we will again ask our collaborative partners to come to the table.
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