Red River Basin Disaster Information Network
On-Line Workshop
July 7, 2000 -- 12:00 Noon CST

Drought
The Other Side of the Cycle

David A. Sprynczynatyk
North Dakota State Engineer

On-Line Transcript
Download Transcript (MS Word File)
Text Transcript

Flood disasters repeatedly grab the headlines but the threat of devastating drought is ever present. It was in response to the drought of the 1930's that the North Dakota State Water Commission was created by legislative action in 1937, for the specific purpose of fostering and promoting water resources development throughout the state.

This presentation outlined the need for Red River Basin jurisdictions to be prepared to deal with the other side of the hydrologic cycle - drought. More importantly, it highlighted some of the things that are being done in the United States to plan and mitigate for severe drought.

Earlier this year portions of northeast North Dakota were in the beginning stages of serious drought, that turned around over night, quite literally, on June 12th with a storm that produced devastating flooding. Being in the middle of the continent means our climate will vary widely, and sometimes quickly. The onset of a prolonged drought is very difficult to predict but much progress is being made in understanding this natural phenomenon. It is not a question of if the Red River will experience another prolonged drought, it is when will it happen.

North Dakota State Water Commission
The State Engineer
(Please see the on-line transcript for several drought-related links.)

About David Sprynczynatyk
David A. Sprynczynatyk was appointed in July, l989, by the North Dakota State Water Commission as North Dakota's l5th State Engineer. He also serves as
the Chief Engineer and Secretary to the State Water Commission.

Currently, Sprynczynatyk serves as co-chairman of the International Souris River Board of Control. He is North Dakota’s representative to the Missouri River Basin Association, Vice President of the National Water Resources Association, and is a member of the executive council of the Western States Water Council. He also serves as North Dakota's representative to the Red River Water Resource Council, Red River Basin Board, the International Joint Commission Red River Task Force, and the Red River Basin Mitigation Initiative. Sprynczynatyk is a member of the board of directors of the North Dakota Water Users, the board of directors of the North Dakota Water Education Foundation, and the advisory committee to the National WET (Water Education for Teachers) Project.