The rising waters of Devils Lake are turning central North Dakota into a rough version of the Netherlands. Highways once bordered by pastureland now slice through acres of lake water like lonely causeways. Makeshift dikes protect buildings.
Farmers now fish where they once raised crops.
The lake has tripled in size since 1993, and weather forecasters say it could rise another two feet this summer. It's threatening highways and rail service and even shutting down rural towns. No one, however, is quite sure what to do about it. But such stop-gap measures will mean little if unusually high rainfall continues. The move helps people avert complete losses.