State officials are still tallying the cost of defending against a lawsuit brought by dozens of landowners whose property was flooded by Devils Lake.

Dale Frink, chief engineer for the state Water Commission, said he did not have a total but that the amount was "very large."

Discussion of the cost of defending the lawsuit, which a judge dismissed last fall, led to a light moment at a recent Water Commission meeting.

Assistant Attorney General Matt Sagsveen told commissioners that the total for such court costs as witness fees amounted to about $280,000. When Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple asked about attorney fees, Sagsveen told the commission that he personally worked about 4,000 hours on the case.

Dalrymple raised his eyebrows, chuckled and said, "Leave the math to us, huh?"

Sagsveen later said in an interview that his office does not always charge straight by the hour.

-AssociatedPress