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Opponents Of Red River Diversion Project Going To Court

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Opponents of a planned Red River diversion project around Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota say they're happy to finally get their day in court.

The $2 billion channel is designed to move water around the flood-prone Fargo metropolitan area, but would need a staging area south of the city to store water in times of serious flooding. A group representing about 20 upstream cities and townships in North Dakota and Minnesota filed a lawsuit in August 2013 asking for a cheaper project that doesn't flood farmland.

A hearing is scheduled Monday in federal court in Minneapolis to discuss whether the complaint has merit.

Tim Fox, state's attorney in Wilkin County, Minnesota, says it's the first time the "substantive elements" of the case will be argued in front of a federal judge.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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