The Headwaters Lakes Project, located in north central Minnesota, consists of six dams which control a watershed area covering 4,535 square miles. Originally authorized for the purpose of navigation, the Headwaters Project is now considered a multi-purpose project that includes flood risk reduction, recreation, water supply, fish and wildlife management, tribal trust, wild rice production and environmental stewardship. In addition to the Headwaters Lakes Project, the staff also manages Red Lake Dam, which controls the water level on Red Lake and has a watershed that encompasses approximately 6,000 square miles. Key products and services include:
Operation and Maintenance of Corps Recreation Areas
The Corps of Engineers staff operate and maintain the Headwaters Lake Project’s six recreation areas. These areas include:
Cross Lake Dam and Recreation Area is in the heart of the city of Crosslake, Minnesota. Approximately 175,000 people visit this site annually. It provides 121 campsites, 85 of which have electrical hook-ups; two boat ramps; two beach areas; two dump stations; two playgrounds; two shower facilities; two picnic shelters and two accessible fishing docks.
Gull Lake Dam and Recreation Area is located approximately 10 miles northwest of Brainerd, Minnesota. More than 100,000 people visit this site annually. There are 42 campsites, all of which have electric hook-up; one picnic shelter; one boat ramp; one beach; one accessible fishing dock; one dump station; three playgrounds and shower facilities.
Leech Lake Dam and Recreation Area is located in Federal Dam, Minnesota. Approximately 43,000 people visit the site annually. There are 79 campsites, 75 of which have electric hook-ups and five of those offer full hookups; three boat ramps provide access to both Leech Lake and the Leech River; two playgrounds; one picnic shelter; one accessible fishing dock; one fish cleaning station and two comfort stations that provide shower facilities and coin laundry.
Pokegama Dam and Recreation Area is just west of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on Hwy 2. Approximately 111,000 people visit this site annually. It provides 21 campsites, 19 of which have electrical hook-ups; one picnic shelter; two fishing docks with one that is accessible; one dock; shower facilities; one dump station; one playground and other recreation facilities and interpretive programming.
Sandy Lake Dam and Recreation Area is near McGregor, Minnesota. Approximately 65,000 people visit this site annually. It provides 60 campsites, 51 which have electrical hook-ups, eight tent only sites (four have hook-ups) and, one camper cabin; four accessible fishing docks; three boat ramps; two dump stations; two playgrounds; one picnic shelter; one beach and a shower facility.
Winnibigoshish Dam and Recreation Area is on the east shore of the lake and 14 miles west of Deer River, Minnesota. The site attracts approximately 52,000 people annually. There are 22 campsites, all of which have electric hook-ups; one picnic shelter; one boat ramp; one dump station and one playground.
Recreation at the Mississippi River Headwaters
Corps staff are responsible for planning, developing and implementing the public-use facility plan for the six dams. Most sites include informational kiosks and an interpretation room. Each site is unique and different but generally offers interpretive programming to visitors and the general public.
Water Management
Corps staff work with the district’s water management section to maintain reservoir elevations throughout the year at the six Headwaters sites, as well as Red Lake. The staff duties also include dam operations and maintenance as well as dike maintenance and inlet clearing.
Navigation
The River and Harbor Acts of June 14, 1880 and August 2, 1882 authorized the construction of the dams at each of the six Mississippi River Headwaters lakes for the purpose of augmenting the Mississippi River flow for navigation. The lakes affected by these acts include, Winnibigoshish, Leech, Pokegama, Sandy, Cross and Gull. Following authorization of the reservoirs, Congress directed the Secretary of War to establish regulations governing their operation through the River and Harbor Act of August 11, 1888.
However, the need for flow augmentation from the reservoirs was greatly reduced after the completion in the 1930s of the Mississippi River 9-foot Navigation Channel Project. The system of 29 locks and dams from Minneapolis to St. Louis provide the necessary depth to maintain navigation.
Interagency Cooperation
Because the Corps of Engineers does not own all of the shoreline surrounding the reservoirs, Corps staff coordinate with several Native American tribes, federal, state and local agencies as well as working closely with other stakeholders such as volunteers, partnerships and local lake associations.