FARGO - Local officials in North Dakota and Minnesota said they can work together on a permanent flood protection plan that qualifies for federal funding, despite recent complaints about some of the ideas.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., held an official Senate hearing on flood protection Wednesday inside the Fargodome, the building that was used to build sandbags during record-setting flooding in March and April. Millions of dollars were spent to fight the flood.

"A lot of people have very strong opinions about these issues," Dorgan said before the hearing. "In the final analysis, there needs to be some agreement, and I think that will be the case."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has outlined three preliminary proposals, a $1 billion diversion project on the Minnesota side of the river, a $625 million levee system, and a combination of the two. Any final plan must meet federal guidelines on costs and benefits.

Corps officials said during Tuesday's hearing that the levee proposal is the only one that appears to meet those guidelines.

"There's no congressional muscle to be applied. If it doesn't qualify, it doesn't qualify," Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said after the hearing. "The good news here is that the levee system is very close to qualifying."

Conrad called the diversion idea "a tall mountain to climb."

The delegations from the two states told local leaders they will have to agree on areas that should be protected. The mayors of Fargo and Moorhead and representatives from Cass County in North Dakota and Clay County in Minnesota said it can be done.

"We know that the path is out there, but we need to find where that path begins," Moorhead Mayor Mark Voxland said. "We're going to be working very hard on that in the next 18 months."

Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker said he's optimistic about a final solution, but said people need to be patient until engineers present their findings.

"We need to allow the Corps of Engineers to do their process," he said. "We're all waiting for the preferred alternative."

Asked if they thought there were any "show stoppers" that could derail the project, both mayors said no.

Fargo officials are making separate plans for a south side flood protection project, at a cost of about $161 million. North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven suggested that project could be the first phase of the overall plan.

"This has to benefit people on both sides of the river," Hoeven said. "At the same, we're anxious to get started."

Walaker assured the delegations that the Fargo project, "if properly managed," would not impact other areas. But Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said some Minnesota residents are worried about adverse affects of that project, and are looking for assurance from the Corps.

"I don't think there is consensus yet on the Minnesota side, from what I hear," Peterson said. "There are questions."

At a meeting with Minnesota residents Tuesday, Peterson estimated the chance of a diversion project on the Minnesota side at "about minus 5 percent." He joked at the start of the hearing about taking heat for that comment.

"I don't think I can say much. I've probably said enough the last day," he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.