FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The potential damage to cemeteries that would be flooded by a Red River diversion project would not be enough to justify protective measures requested by residents who have family members buried there, according to a study by promoters of the project.
Seven cemeteries are located in an area south of the Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, metropolitan area that would be used as a staging area for water when the planned $2 billion channel is in operation. Although many of those upstream residents are opposed to the project altogether, they were at least hoping for ring levees or other measures that would allow access to the cemeteries during flooding.
The study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority shows that the flood prevention preferred by most residents would cost about $14 million.
“From the federal perspective, the mitigation must be commensurate with the physical impacts,” corps spokeswoman Terry Williams said Wednesday.
The corps instead is proposing a federal easement that would compensate the cemeteries, based on before and after appraisals, for the right to temporarily store water on their land. In addition, the diversion authority would agree to pay for cleanup and repairs for the cemeteries.
Mark Anderson, who represents two cemeteries that would be in the staging area, said many family members are upset about the mitigation plan but haven’t decided what, if anything, to do next.
“I’ve got one cemetery that will have a foot of water for a couple of days. OK. But I’ve got another one that will have 7½ feet of water for 12 days,” Anderson said. “When it’s your great grandparents and your grandparents and your brother and your uncle buried there, and you’ve got a lot of veterans, it’s a tough thing.”
The study began in September 2013. Williams said the site visits were attended by concerned family members, church officials, caretakers, members of the Upstream Cemetery Authority and members of the MnDak Upstream Coalition, which has filed a federal lawsuit against the diversion.
“There are a lot of people out there who feel they are being disrespected by putting water on their family’s graves,” Williams said. “That is really an emotional impact to them. We certainly understand that.”
Keith Berndt, the Cass County administrator and member of diversion authority’s land management committee, said the authority might consider paying for low-level berms in addition to cleanup and repair.
“We really have to look at it from the perspective that is the fix worse than cleaning up after the fact,” he said. “We want to be very sensitive to the concern that citizens have. It’s a very emotional issue.”
Williams said history shows that past flooding has caused minimal damage and some monuments “in a pretty rare occurrence” to tip over.
Joel Hanson, who represents the Upstream Cemetery Authority, said he believes the corps and diversion authority want the cheapest option.
“There is no guarantee that graves will not pop out of the ground and their plan doesn’t include anchoring down the graves,” Hanson said. “We’re not talking about abandoned cemeteries. These are beautiful and well-kept grounds. They are sacred places where we continue to lay our loved ones to rest.”
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