But in order for you to move to the next phase you need a local sponsor?

After what happened last spring in North Dakota with a very substantial amount of flooding many parts of our State, we, of course, became very active on the Red River.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to discuss this spring 2009 flood event in the Bismarck area.

Alright. Colonel, if a local sponsor is required to come up with local money for additional studies, I assume what Mr. Royse is referring to is that they would like to see something other than a study.

I still want to try to get to this understanding.

How do you get from point A to point C without going through point B, if point B is a legal requirement?

Is there a strategy the Corps has inevitably in the spring or the late winter and spring to release water to break up or in order to prevent jams from forming?

I'm hoping that the Corps will involve local and State officials in the process of some real formal processes.

We have waited for longer than I have patience to, and finally we're going to drive through this and get it done.

I want to be helpful. I mean I'm chairman of the committee that funds the Corps of Engineers.

Is there a Federal interest? Does it meet the cost benefit and so on?

That additional water has come in, and because the reservoirs have been so depleted they have not wanted to maximize the releases.