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Whitewater Lake consumes cropland

With 1,000 acres of bountiful cropland under water — again — Boissevain-area producer Pete Penner says the future of his multi-generational farm depends on whether the province steps up and offers to control flows out of Whitewater Lake.

We cant stop the water coming in anymore and we dont advocate draining the lake, but lets control it, lets take the top off so we have room for runoff in the spring, Penner told the Sun.

Its an issue thats morally and legally wrong as far as Im concerned.

Since Penner took over the family farm in 1972, Whitewater Lake has tripled in size. Regular heavy snow and rainfall have contributed to increased flows into the landlocked lake that feeds into both Elgin Creek to the northeast and Medora Creek to the west, both of which eventually feed into the Souris River.

Penners land bordering the lake to the northeast flooded in 1976, 2005 and again in 2011. This year, water levels reached new heights, swelling to 1,633.8 feet above sea level and drowned out the same 1,000 acres that yielded Penner $50 per acre of canola last season.

Following the flood in 1976, it took the land three years to recover. As fall approaches, Penner and RM of Morton Reeve Bob McCallum are working hard to lobby the provincial water department to consider the plight of area farmers to build a channel to reduce water levels.

If nothing is done, Penner worries his 39 years of farming will be for naught and his son and farming partner of 17 years wont be able to continue on in the family business and live out his dream of one day passing the torch to his own son, the would-be fourth-generation owner.

Its a problem that needs to be addressed because it keeps coming back on us, Penner said. If nothing is done, I dont see how I could possibly not be inundated with water again next spring. 

A clay dike and pumps protected three farm sites including Penners from rising waters this spring, but the engorged lake is quickly swallowing land in close proximity to Deloraine and Boissevain, McCallum says.

UND dedicates Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Facility on Grand

Governor Jack Dalrymple was in Grand Forks yesterday to attend the grand opening and dedication of the University of North Dakota (UND) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Training Facility located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. The event marked the official opening of one of the most advanced UAS training, education and research facilities in the world.

The training facility is an extension of UND’s UAS Center of Excellence (COE) that was established in 2006. The state provided more than $2.7 million in COE enhancement grants to fund the necessary remodeling of the building provided by the U.S. Air Force and the staffing of the facility. The grant also helped with the purchase of the Predator Mission Aircrew Training System (PMATS), a state-of-the-art UAS simulator used to train students. UND will be the first civilian operator of the PMAT system.

“North Dakota is on the forefront of cutting edge UAS research and development,” Dalrymple said. “With all the world class work that is being done at the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, the UAS Center of Excellence and now the UAS Training Facility, North Dakota is expanding its global presence as a leader in UAS technology, commerce, research and training.”

The UND UAS Training Facility is the result of an agreement between UND and the U.S. Air Force to locate the facility at the base. Dalrymple attended a ceremony in February when the historic agreement was signed. The training facility can accommodate 24 students in the classroom area, with plans to expand to 30. The facility includes two simulator rooms, a library, and office and meeting space.

The UAS Center of Excellence performs research and development on UAS technologies and applications, and focuses on education and training for UAS integration into the national airspace system. The center also fosters the commercialization of new UAS-related products and services and promotes private-sector job growth within the state. Since its inception, the state has provided more than $6 million to fund the center and advance its research and development capabilities.

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