ND Department of Water Resources Receives $769 Million Biennial Appropriation
Bismarck, ND – House Bill (HB) 1020, the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) budget bill, was signed by ND Governor Kelly Armstrong providing the DWR with a 2025-2027 biennial appropriation of $769 million.
DWR’s budget is almost entirely supported by North Dakota’s Resources Trust Fund (RTF), which is funded from 20.5 percent of the state’s oil extraction tax. Included in this budget are dollars for regional, rural and municipal water supply projects, flood control efforts and general water management, among others.
“The passage of House Bill 1020 will provide local water managers and the agency with tremendous opportunities to develop and manage North Dakota’s water resources,” DWR Director Reice Haase said. “Because of Oil Extraction Tax revenues into the Resources Trust Fund, North Dakota will be able to continue its strong support of water development in all areas of the state – protecting our citizens from flood-related impacts; delivering clean, reliable sources of water for people, industry, and agriculture; and advancing smaller general water management projects that make positive impacts in urban and rural areas alike.”
HB 1020 provides the following funding:
Total New Project Funding: $615.2M (including a $260M line of credit)
Large Regional – $358.6M
- Red River Valley Water Supply Project: $205M
- Western Area Water Supply: $40M
- Northwest Area Water Supply: $12.6M
- Southwest Pipeline Project: $101M
Flood Control – $118.6M
- South Bismarck: $17M
- Mouse River: $81.1M
- Valley City: $12M
- Devils Lake: $1M
- Heart River: $7.5M
Water Supply – $110M
- Rural Water: $70M
- Municipal Water: $40M
General Water – $18M
- Conveyance: $15M
- Other: $3M
Discretionary – $10M
In terms of staffing and professional development, HB 1020 provides approximately $1.7 million for an internship program, and five additional full-time team members, including a deputy director, general counsel, accountant/budget specialist, Silver Jackets program coordinator, and Northwest Area Water Supply project (NAWS) operator.
For more information about DWR, please visit www.dwr.nd.gov.