Wetland storage to reduce flood damages in the Red River

The restoration of previously drained wetlands to store water was not found to be an economically feasible strategy to reduce flood related damages in two sub-watersheds of the Red River Valley (the Maple River Watershed in North Dakota, and the Wild Rice Watershed of Minnesota). Restoring wetlands, while providing full ecological services, was less feasible, even considering additional (non-flood related) benefits of wetlands. In contrast, the construction of impoundments with outlet control devices to regulate and store water in the upper reaches of watersheds was an economically feasible way to reduce downstream flood damages.