Science and Policy: Interbasin Water Transfer of Aquatic Biota
The Garrison Diversion Project was conceived shortly after
World War II as a harness on North Dakota's flow of the powerful Missouri River.
Part of the plan produced the Garrison Dam, providing flood control and generating
electricity for the entire region. Another part of the plan was to provide irrigation
water to western North Dakota farmers. By the 1970s, however, opposition from
environmentalists and Canadian authorities stalled the irrigation project. Opponents
questioned the need for irrigation, the cost of the diversion and the danger
of pollution or of biotic transfer of undesirable species into Canadian waters.
As diversion program supporters staggered under the weight of opposition from
several sides, one thing still was missing: careful scientific research on the
true environmental impact of such a program. "While it often seems that
'someone must have done that already,' more often than not there are gaps in
the science and in the baseline data," notes Jay Leitch, principal investigator
for this project. Dr. Leitch spearheaded a multidisciplinary team of researchers
to collect baseline data on the nature and impact of inter-basin water transfer,
with an eye particularly to water-borne biota transfer concerns.
Includes chapters on:
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History of Garrison Diversion
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International review of Interbasin water transfers
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Identification of pathways for aquatic biota transfer
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Distribution and dispersal of fishes in the Red River Basin
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Case histories of fish species invasions
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Water treatment technologies to prevent biota transfer and more
With forewords written by William L. Guy, former North Dakota Governor, and
Robert N. Clarkson, former coordinator of the Garrison Focus Office in the Province
of Manitoba.
About the Author
Jay Leitch is the former dean of the College of Business Administration
at North Dakota State University. He has published widely as a professional
in the areas of water and wetlands policy public finance, and economic development.
He lives with his wife, Becky, and their twins, along the Red River of the North.
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