| Summary: | Water Resources Surface Water Resources North Dakota is separated by a continental divide running from the northwest to the southeast corners of the state. The northeastern portion of the state drains into Hudson Bay and includes the Mouse (Souris), Devils Lake, and Red River basins. The southwestern part is drained by the Missouri and James River basins to the Gulf of Mexico. Flow in all North Dakota streams and rivers are seasonably and annually variable. Runoff is generally greatest in early spring as a result of snowmelt water and spring rainfall. Many smaller streams experience little or no flow for extended periods during summer months. Dramatic flow variations in river discharges can be caused by changes in weather patterns, isolated storm events, evaporation rates, and snow pack conditions. In North Dakota in 2016, there were almost 715,967 acres of natural lakes and reservoirs (239,237 acres and 476,730 acres respectively) and about 3,206,820 acres of wetlands. In the state, there are 21,108 waterbodies of at least 10 acres or greater in size. The state’s four largest reservoirs (Sakakawea, Oahe, Audubon, and Ashtabula) comprise about 10 percent of North Dakota’s total water surface acres, accounting for a surface area of 397,467 acres. The majority of these acres are contained within the two mainstem Missouri River reservoirs (Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe) at their normal operating pool elevations. North Dakota Drainage Basins 514 2017-2019 North Dakota Blue Book
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