North Dakota s State Regulatory Agencies - 2619 Words

Many would not believe that North Dakota has some serious environmental concerns, at least I did not. I always thought of North Dakota as a stable and somewhat of a quiet state. After doing some extensive research, I found that North Dakota has environmental concerns with terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic ecosystems. As for aquatic ecosystems, the main damage has been done through haphazard artificial drainage, excessive water diversions, and improper disposal of industrial waste. Impact to terrestrial ecosystems is caused by the constant industrial and residential work sectors as well as the mechanical destruction of plant communities. Lastly, atmospheric issues can be pointed to blowing soil and improper pesticide application. As we†¦show more content†¦The State Water Commission provides many laws and policies that citizens and businesses in the state must follow. Also, something that I found very interesting was that the Water Commission is involved in a variety of s pecial water projects. One project that I will focus on is the Dam Safety project. The purpose of this project is to provide a program to minimize the risk to life and property associated with the potential failure of dams in North Dakota. The State Water Commission conducts dam inspections in order to identify any maintenance repairs that should be done. The image that I have provided below is a map of water well records, dams, drains, water levels, etc. This image is provided to us by the State Water Commission through there General Water Resource MapService. As for the Geological Survey Division, this survey serves as the primary source of geological information in the state. The mission of this division is to investigate the geology, administer regulatory programs, and provide public service to the state of North Dakota. This survey actively maps the surface geology in the state with a big emphasis on urban areas and the identification of hazards such as landslides. Seen in the figure below, is a map of all landslides. The Geological Survey also provides petroleum information, clay maps, fossil digs, as well as rules and regulation of mining and