Red Lake Dam flows reduced due to drought conditions

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is reducing flows from Red Lake Dam, at the outlet of Lower Red Lake, in Clearwater County, Minnesota, because of drought conditions across the state.

The lake is currently at 1,174.0 feet. The average lake level in July is 1,174.6 feet. Warm weather and a lack of precipitation has resulted in low water levels.

The Corps is currently making small gate changes, working toward a minimum outflow; the last gate movement was July 19. The last time the outflow was reduced to the minimum, was 2012. The current outflow is around 100 cubic feet per second, or cfs. The average outflow for July is 600 cfs.

Releases at the dam cannot be stopped altogether. Red Lake Dam serves a dual-purpose designed to impound water in the natural reservoir formed by Upper and Lower Red Lakes during flood periods and to release stored water for water supply and pollution abatement during low-flow periods.

The Corps urges boaters to go slow and use caution in lower-than-normal lake levels.

Water levels at Red Lake Dam can be monitored at https://water.usace.army.mil/

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