What is the status of the Waffle plan now?
The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is just beginning the second year of a multiyear U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-sponsored program that will examine the feasibility of the Waffle concept and develop a series of models and databases that could be used by Red River Basin decision makers to implement the program and other water management strategies in the future. Efforts in the first year of the project focused on assessing the water volumes needed to result in a significant reduction in peak flows and mitigate the effects of large springtime floods. Results thus far have indicated that the water volumes necessary to have significant effects on flooding are within reasonable limits when compared to potential storage capacity. Additional Year One activities included the formation of an Agency Advisory Board (AAB) and a Citizen’s Advisory Board (CAB). The AAB is providing technical advice, while the CAB is providing advice concerning landowner issues. Efforts in Yea
