The State Water Commission and Department of Water Resources have issued two Requests for Information (RFIs) from vendors for consequent use in potentially selecting a contractor or contractors to assist in meeting study requirements as directed by North Dakota’s 69th Legislative Assembly. The two RFIs are available for review and download.

State Water Commission Cost-Share Program Policy Evaluation

North Dakota Regional Water Systems Governance and Finance Report

From the Headwaters, a podcast from the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, explores the people, projects and policies shaping North Dakota's water future. Each episode, we will bring you stories from the field, updates on major initiatives, and conversations with the folks working behind the scenes to protect, manage, and develop one of our state's most vital resources: water. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen To From The Headwaters Podcast Now.

The Missouri River Potential Intake Locations Investigation Report is a comprehensive desktop analysis which analyzed various criteria to determine suitable surface water and subsurface intake sites from the Montana state line to Washburn, ND. The goal of the investigation was to identify sites where an intake with a capacity of at least 15,000 acre-feet per year could be constructed to expand existing industry, attract new industrial opportunities to the state, and serve additional irrigation and municipal water supply.

The Department of Water Resources is seeking public input on proposed changes to N.D. Admin. Code chapters 89-01-0, 89-03-01, 89-03-02, 89-07-02, 89-10-01, 89-11-01, 89-15-01, and article 90 until 5pm on September 12, 2025.

General Department Full Notice Of Intent To Adopt, Amend, & Repeal Administrative Rules

Administrative Code: General Department Updates

The Department of Water Resources is seeking public input on proposed changes to N.D. Admin. Code chapters 89-01-0, 89-03-01, 89-03-02, 89-07-02, 89-10-01, 89-11-01, 89-15-01, and article 90 until 5pm on September 12, 2025.

Regulatory Process Full Notice Of Intent To Adopt, Amend, & Repeal Administrative Rules

Administrative Code: Regulatory Processes Updates

Regulatory Process Proposed Changes Flow Charts

The information available through the Water Development Plan Dashboard provides North Dakota’s broad spectrum of water stakeholders, elected officials, Department of Water Resources (DWR), and State Water Commission (SWC) members with the most up-to-date project information available to plan for, and support our state’s highest water development priorities.

The DWR publishes various digital educational campaigns aimed to provide information on North Dakota’s water resources, the agency’s initiatives, and other updates. Our current campaign is titled The Watershed Thread, a 3-part series that explains the importance and impact of watersheds. You can read our past educational campaigns, or sign up to receive further campaigns

The Current is a quarterly Department of Water Resources newsletter that provides the latest agency-specific information concerning water development, regulatory and appropriation efforts, water education, policy changes, Water Commission meeting highlights, and much more. We hope you find the content interesting, useful, and insightful.

May - The Current

The DWR has a variety of exciting job openings. Please review the job links below and consider submitting an application!

Water Resource Project Specialist

DWR has launched a Water Permit and Construction Permit Status webpage. The purpose of this new tool is to 1) allow water permit applicants to look up the permits for which they’ve applied, and to see where those permits are in relation to priority with other permits, and 2) for construction permit applicants to quickly find their permit application, view its status, and review other associated information. The application status webpage was created for greater public transparency to the DWR water appropriation and construction permitting processes.

Water & Construction Permit Application Status Page