In June 2011, the Mouse River flooded, causing the evacuation of more than 11,000 people and over $700 million in damages. The flood occurred in the midst of a housing shortage, and the community needed to quickly establish a plan for preventing a similar disaster in the future so that property owners could decide whether to relocate or rebuild.
In the immediate aftermath, Barr and a team of subconsultants worked with local, state, and federal stakeholders to develop an enhanced flood-risk management plan for North Dakota’s Mouse River valley. The plan defined preliminary alignments for levees and floodwalls designed to allow river flows (comparable to those seen in 2011) pass through safely. The engineering team worked nearly 6,000 hours to release a draft alignment in less than a month. After only five months, the Barr team delivered its preliminary engineering report that described a comprehensive plan with 21.6 miles of levee, 2.8 miles of floodwall, river diversions and closure features, 30 transportation closure structures, 33 interior pump stations, highway and railroad bridge modifications, and floodplain buyouts.
Barr's team has continued to support the region through the design, permitting, and construction of individual project phases identified in the preliminary plan.