Hoeven Working to Advance $75 Million in Key Infrastructure for Bismarck, Lincoln & Other ND Communities

BISMARCK, N.D. – As part of a roundtable with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 8 Acting Regional Administrator Katherine Fox today, Senator John Hoeven outlined his efforts to advance $75 million in key infrastructure projects for Bismarck, Lincoln and other North Dakota communities. The projects support priorities such as flood control, disaster mitigation and recovery, with Hoeven working to: Move the South Bismarck Flood Control Project forward. In 2023, FEMA selected the City of Bismarck to receive $50 million in Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) funding to improve flood protection in South Bismarck. Of this amount, FEMA has provided $7.3 million for Phase 1 preconstruction work, and the city plans to seek authorization this fall for $42.7 million in Phase 2 construction funding so construction can begin in 2027. Once completed, the project is expected to remove approximately 1,000 structures from the floodplain under updated flood insurance maps, reducing the burden of flood insurance for impacted residents. Support the University of Mary’s $9.1 million wastewater improvement project. The university is seeking FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant funding to replace its outdated lagoon facilities and restore the land currently used for septic lagoons. Hoeven previously made the case to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton for supporting the project, which has passed initial eligibility and is now undergoing review at FEMA headquarters. Advance BRIC grants for communities across North Dakota. This includes: A $7.76 million wastewater system regionalization project in Lincoln. A $7 million water intake project in Washburn. A $1.9 million wastewater lagoon project in Fessenden, which was officially awarded this week. The senator expects the federal funding for these projects to be awarded beginning in September 2026 through next spring. Ensure North Dakota communities have the federal support needed to recover from disasters. Hoeven and roundtable participants discussed North Dakota’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration following severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that impacted western and central North Dakota in June. The senator also heard from state and county leaders regarding issues from previous major disaster declarations impacting residents and communities in Stutsman and Walsh counties. “We appreciate Acting Regional Administrator Fox and her team being in North Dakota, as well as her ongoing efforts with us to advance $75 million in key infrastructure projects for the Bismarck area and communities across our state,” said Hoeven. “We’re working to advance BRIC-funded infrastructure projects in Fessenden, Lincoln and Washburn, as well as the University of Mary’s wastewater improvement project. We also need to keep the South Bismarck Flood Control Project moving forward so construction can begin next year, providing better flood protection while minimizing the burden of flood insurance on residents. At the same time, we continue working to ensure North Dakota communities have the federal support they need before, during and after disasters.” -###-