Corps of Engineers announces County Road 33 closure over the Lac qui Parle emergency spillway

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, announced today that County Road 33 over the emergency spillway of the Lac qui Parle Dam will be closed near Watson, Minnesota, until further notice. The Corps of Engineers is coordinating the road closure with Lac qui Parle and Chippewa counties.

Temporary flood protection was installed along a portion of the roadway where the spillway has been excavated. The temporary flood protection is precautionary as the water elevation rises and nears the top of the spillway. The emergency spillway becomes flooded when the reservoir elevation tops 941.3 feet. Once the threat for the roadway to overtop has subsided, the temporary flood protection will be removed and the roadway will return to a one-way traffic pattern.

Recent inflows to the Lac qui Parle Dam have caused elevated water levels.  As previously announced, there has been an increase in released discharge in an effort to further reduce the flood risk. The increased outflow of water into the Minnesota River means additional localized flooding is likely.

“Our goal is to keep the reservoir from overtopping the emergency spillway and to bring the river back within its banks by the middle of July,” said Jim Noren, St. Paul District water manager. “We are trying to balance the needs of both upstream and downstream communities with a focus on doing so safely for everyone within the basin.”

Corps water managers urge caution around the area. Additional adjustments may be made based on future rain events.

-30-