kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com
Kim Fundingsland/MDN
Water was flowing over the small dam near Minot’s Water Treatment Plant Thursday afternoon, but expectations are that flows will subside very soon. The flow was initiated by a release from Lake Darling Dam which concluded Wednesday.
That North Dakota is experiencing some very dry conditions, nearing historic levels, is something that has been developing in earnest since October of 2020. Evidence of just how dry much of Ward County and surrounding regions are can be found in a glance at water levels in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
In short, if rivers have any flow at all it is far below average, and lakes and reservoirs are low and in decline. The Souris River saw a brief rise starting April 14 when Lake Darling Dam began releasing 100 cubic feet of water per second into the Souris. It was enough to prompt flow over several small dams within the City of Minot.