In 2023, after a winter of above-normal snowpack with an elevated amount of snow water equivalent and colder average daytime temperatures throughout March, the Marshall, Minnesota, area experienced an elevated risk of rapid melt. Throughout the severe spring flooding that ensued, damages were incurred from flooding on the Redwood River and its diversion channel. The damages included sporadic toe erosion, with erosion to riprap and soil. The levee along this reach is a significant portion of the flood risk reduction infrastructure for the city of Marshall.

In late June 2024, the area experienced several large rain events that caused high water levels within the flood risk management system. Upon the water’s recession, additional erosion of the levee was observed over 40-50 feet of the channel.

The damages to the levee will be combined in the design phase of the ongoing Marshall Flood Control Project to account for all damages incurred, and the complete design will restore the levee to its original condition.

The levee along this reach of the Redwood River is active in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rehabilitation and Inspection Program and is currently eligible for Public Law 84-99 funding. The last inspection before the high-water event of 2023 was in 2018, and the overall condition of the river channel was in good condition.

Status

The repairs for the 2023 flood damages are in the design phase, while the repairs for the 2024 flood damages is awaiting preliminary draft approval. The work is scheduled to be complete in the 2025 construction season.

Authority

Original project: This work is authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1960; Public Law 86-645, substantially in accordance with House Document 86-417; and Section 401(a) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986.
Emergency repairs: This work is authorized under Public Law 84-99.