The State Water Commission board of directors met this week in Bismarck with Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple sitting in for the chairman, Gov. John Hoeven.

Dalrymple and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson were the only two voting members of the board at the conference table, with board members Jack Olin, Charles Halcrow, Harley Swenson, Curtis Hofstad and Elmer Hillesland all participating via conference call. This type of meeting is becoming more common - particularly when members are far-flung - as the conference call becomes an acceptable means of communication in group settings.

But it does make it difficult to determine who said what during the course of a conversation. I have a tough time placing names with faces, much less names with voices.

I've attended a number of meetings where one member participates via the conference call. During the course of proceedings, people tend to forget there is an invisible participant, until you hear this bodiless voice attempting to ask a question or make a point.

Big projects to pay for

The water commission did approve a $60 million water development bond resolution, which will account for nearly half of its $125 million budget over the next biennium. This gives State Engineer Dale Frink the authority to sign the bond resolution.

Hillesland warned of being fiscally responsible, saying he felt the money should only be spent on projects "our children will benefit from." Other members concurred but noted the board really didn't have a choice, with the matter having been mandated by the Legislature.

"I think the Legislature really thought this through and knows the repercussions," Dalrymple said. "I believe the projects will pay back in benefits and in savings."

Some of the projects the money will go to include: Grand Forks flood protection, Fargo flood protection, Devils Lake outlet and Maple River dam.

Repayment of the bond is directly tied to the tobacco money the state receives. If tobacco doesn't provide enough, the natural resources trust fund will be used.

Outlet ready for action

I had a chance to talk to Joe Belford this week at the State Water Commission meeting. Belford is a Devils Lake businessman, Ramsey County commissioner and downstream acceptance coordinator for the Devils Lake outlet.

With the outlet nearly complete, it's almost time to turn on the pumps and start sending water to the Sheyenne River. I asked him when the outlet was expected to go into action.

"We're hoping they're going to fire her up in July," Belford said, just loud enough so Todd Sando, assistant state engineer, could hear. Belford gave a sidelong glance at Sando, hoping his statement would draw some reaction. It didn't.

There has been a lot of heavy lobbying by Canada lately in Washington, D.C., to get the federal government to keep the project from going forward and have the International Joint Commission review it. Most recently, Canada appealed to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to put a hold on the project.

Hoeven is sticking to his guns and not caving in to Canadian demands the project now go to the IJC. Hoeven maintains Canada had its chance to take the project to the IJC more than two years ago, when North Dakota made the offer. Instead, the Canadian government, fully aware of North Dakota's intentions, waited until the state had invested $26 million in the outlet to try to quash it.