Devils Lake Agreement

It took far too long, but Canada and the U.S. have mostly agreed on how to handle Devils Lake:

The agreement provides for new rock and gravel filters at the start of the new drainage system as well as extensive monitoring of the water in the basin to be sure that pollution levels are not rising and that species from the lake do not get into the other water systems and crowd out existing fish.

North Dakota says its system of pumps, pipes and canals will stabilize Devils Lake at current levels, channeling excess water to the Sheyenne River, and on to the Red River and then over the Canadian border.

From the sounds of it, this has worked out pretty well for all parties concerned. The big issue now is to make sure that the agreed monitoring (and consequent change if necessary) takes place as planned.