Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River, at sunset.
Purpose
The Floodplain Management Services program educates individuals who live and work in floodplains on flood hazards and the actions they can take to reduce property damage and prevent the loss of life. The program’s objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation’s floodplains.
This program provides the full range of technical services and planning guidance that is needed to support effective floodplain management. The most common types of studies are floodplain delineation studies, flood hazard evaluations, dam break analyses, hurricane evacuation studies, flood warning and preparedness studies, regulatory floodway analyses, comprehensive floodplain management studies, flood risk reduction studies, urbanization impact studies, storm water management studies, floodproofing studies and flood-prone structure inventories. The program also aids with conducting workshops and seminars on nonstructural floodplain management measures such as floodproofing.
Location
This project targets the six U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River headwaters reservoirs in north-central Minnesota: Winnibigoshish Lake, Leech Lake, Pokegama Lake, Big Sandy Lake, Cross Lake, and Gull Lake.
Description
This project was initiated through an ongoing partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The products are elevation-frequency relationship curves for the six headwaters reservoirs. These curves will be a state-of-the-art tool for flood risk management for properties located at the reservoirs.
Status
A final Mississippi River Headwaters Reservoirs Elevation-Frequency Study report was released in December 2025. The project is complete.
Authority
The Floodplain Management Services program is authorized by Section 206 of the Flood Control Act of 1960 (Public Law 86-645), as amended.
Funding
Mississippi River Headwaters Elevation-Frequency Study
Estimated study cost $235,000
Funding to date $235,000