 When the Garrison Dam was built in the early 1950s, forming Lake Sakakawea, the town's original residents were relocated to New Town, which the government had built to house those displaced by the dam.Residents from Sanish, located in a place which is now usually completely underwater, also moved here.Another new unincorporated village called New Sanish has since reformed on higher dry land to the south of the original flooded Sanish townsite but still near Lake Sakakawea.