Red River of the North projects, studies and information papers

Flood Control Sites (MN): Lake Traverse, Orwell Lake, Red Lake, Big Stone - Highway 75 Dam, Lac qui Parle

All Minnesota flood control sites include flood risk management, recreation and environmental stewardship business line functions. Each has public use facilities for shore fishing, picnicking, bird watching and other activities. The land is actively managed for habitat enhancement. Lake Traverse is on the Minnesota–South Dakota border between Browns Valley, Minnesota, and Wahpeton, North Dakota/Breckenridge, Minnesota. It consists of two dams, two reservoirs and the Browns Valley Dike.
Published: 2/27/2015

Flood Control Sites (ND): Lake Ashtabula, Homme Lake, Souris River

Homme Lake and Lake Ashtabula are multiple-purpose sites with flood risk management, recreation and environmental stewardship business functions. Souris River Project is used for flood control and mitigation activities. Homme Lake is 2 miles west of Park River, North Dakota, on the South Branch of the Park River. Walsh County, North Dakota, leases land to operate a recreation area with overnight camping, a day-use area and a boat launch. Lake Ashtabula (Baldhill Dam) is 12 miles northwest of Valley City, North Dakota, on the Sheyenne River. It has overnight camping, swimming, boat launching, and picnic and playground facilities. About 2,500 acres are used for wildlife management. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) owns Upper Souris and J. Clark Salyer Refuges. Lake Darling is 20 miles northwest of Minot, North Dakota. J. Clark Salyer Refuge is 65 miles northeast of Minot, North Dakota.
Published: 2/27/2015

Planning Assistance to States: Northern Red River Flood Study

The North Dakota and Minnesota Departments of Transportation requested that a comprehensive water resource plan to identify and prioritize feasible alternatives to reduce the frequency and duration of road closures due to flooding of the Red River of the North.
Published: 8/30/2024

Planning Assistance to States: Red River Basin Long Term Flood Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of various flood risk reduction measures basin wide to reduce main stem peak flows by 20% for the larger rare events such as the 0.5% (200-year) and 0.2% (500-year) chance of exceedance floods.
Published: 3/22/2019

Planning Assistance to States: Red River Main Stem Bathymetry

The purpose of this study is to gather 444 river miles of main stem channel bathymetry data from White Rock Dam to the Canadian border for the Bois de Sioux and Red River of the North. That data will be combined with terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR, data of the adjacent terrain to provide a seamless elevation data set for planning studies.
Published: 4/9/2024