The DAPL And Bismarck Balderdash -- From A Reader -- April 20, 2021

 

The Bismarck crossing was fraught with problems.  The first of which is they didn't have an easement.  There was already an easement for pipe and electric transmission lines at Cannon Ball.  Slam dunk - one would think.

It would have added a slight dogleg - some say 11 miles, some say 18 miles.... I think it looks like more than that

Whoever wrote this doesn't know that Lake Oahe doesn't back up north of Bismarck, but whatever.  That area north of Bismarck is prone to flooding. More on that below.  

Early in the routing phase of the DAPL Project, Dakota Access considered but eliminated an alternative centerline that originated in Stanley, North Dakota, within Mountrail County, where it connected to customer receipt points and headed southwest through Williams County and crossed the Missouri River approximately 8.5 miles east of the Yellowstone River and Missouri River confluence. The centerline then headed southeast across the state and crossed Lake Oahe approximately 10 miles north of Bismarck, where it then headed south again and entered South Dakota approximately 35 miles east of Lake Oahe in McIntosh County. In addition to other evaluation criteria listed in Table 2.1, the route alternative was in proximity to and/or crossing multiple conservation easements, habitat management areas, National Wildlife Refuges, state trust lands, waterfowl production areas, and private tribal lands.

In addition, the Bismarck route would have been 11 miles longer with more road crossings and waterbody and wetland crossings. It also would have been difficult to stay 500 or more feet away from homes, as required by the North Dakota Public Service Commission, the corps states.

 Here's a picture of the flood 10 years ago. 

Here's a map, and by 2014, the Bismarck idea was scrapped - looks like more than an 11 mile dogleg to me.  I think they just had to identify more than one route.  They took the better route.  

Right at the Southwest corner of Burleigh County, you can see a finger pointing northeast.

Look where that is on this map

Distance between Moffit, ND and Bismarck, ND

Distance between Moffit, ND and Bismarck, ND Distance between Moffit and Bismarck in miles and kilometers. Driving distance and how to go from Moffit, North ...

So, about as far north as that finger runs and several miles east, you run into the Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  22,000 acres of wet, boggy duck heaven.  Federally protected duck heaven.  And there's tons of little pot holes along the east side of the river.  DAPL really stuck to higher, drier ground as long as they could, and they dug a relatively straight route for over 1000 miles. 

The SR Sioux didn't squabble about the route when previous easements ran there 20, 30, 40 fifty years ago.  Archambeaux ------  heard that 3 Affiliated got a percentage cut (12% ownership) of that 91 mile long pipeline up north.  But, 3A owns land on both sides of the water.  SRS doesn't own land on either side of the Oahe crossing.  

1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty excerpt

ARTICLE XI.
In consideration of the advantages and benefits conferred by this treaty and the many pledges of friendship by the United States, the tribes who are parties to this agreement hereby stipulate that they will relinquish all right to occupy permanently the territory outside

their reservations as herein defined, but yet reserve the right to hunt on any lands north of North Platte, and on the Republican Fork of the Smoky Hill river, so long as the buffalo may range thereon in such numbers as to justify the chase. And they, the said Indians, further expressly agree:

1st. That they will withdraw all opposition to the construction of the railroads now being built on the plains.

2d. That they will permit the peaceful construction of any railroad not passing over their reservation as herein defined.

3d. That they will not attack any persons at home, or travelling, nor molest or disturb any wagon trains, coaches, mules, or cattle belonging to the people of the United S

tates, or to persons friendly therewith.

4th. They will never capture, or carry off from the settlements, white women or children.

5th. They will never kill or scalp white men, nor attempt to do them harm.

6th. They withdraw all pretence of opposition to the construction of the railroad now being built along the Platte river and westward to the Pacific ocean, and they will not in future object to the construction of railroads, wagon roads, mail stations, or other works of utility or necessity, which may be ordered or permitted by the laws of the United States.

Someone else has done a much better job of debunking the Bismarck crossing nix - if I run across it, I'll send it along.