Chippewa Diversion mussel relocation
Staff from our Minnesota River Flood Control Section, operating out of our Laq Qui Parle field office near Watson, Minn., joined district biologists David Potter and Dan Kelner Aug. 3-5, 2020, to relocate more than 400 mussels from the footprint of the location of a to-be constructed cofferdam in the Chippewa River diversion channel. The cofferdam is being constructed as part of scheduled maintenance on the Tainter gates on the control dam. The purpose of the Chippewa Diversion is to divert flow on the Chippewa River into Lac Qui Parle during periods of high flow on the Chippewa River. The additional time required for the flow to enter the lake helps reduce the crests on the Minnesota River downstream from Lake Lac Qui Parle. The project consists of the Chippewa control dam which controls which way the flow goes and the Watson Sag weir which passes the higher Chippewa flows into Lac Qui Parle during high flow and prevents the flow into the lake during periods of low flow.

Contact Public Affairs

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District
Public Affairs Office
332 Minnesota St., Suite E1500
St. Paul, MN 55101

Phone: (651) 290-5807
Fax: (651) 290-5752
cemvp-pa@usace.army.mil