Corps of Engineers increases outflows from Lake Darling Dam

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is increasing the outflow from the Lake Darling Dam, located northwest of Minot, N.D., to 700 cubic feet per second, or cfs, today, March 25.

The Corps is planning to increase the outflow to 800 cfs in the next few days, but the decision will be based on ice conditions downstream of the dam. The Corps is monitoring the ice within the Souris River to ensure it doesn’t create higher flood stages as a result of ice dams.

The Corps assumed control of Lake Darling Dam from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service March 19 when the International Souris River Board declared a 1-in-10 flood event for the river.

Following this news release, the Corps of Engineers will begin posting minor Lake Darling Dam adjustments via our Facebook page. A news release will be issued only if the adjustments are sizeable in scope, or if the releases impact property or life.

The nearly 700 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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