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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District
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St. Paul, MN 55101

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Corps announces drawdown plans for Lake Traverse, Orwell reservoirs in western Minnesota

Published March 1, 2012
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, started the drawdown of Lake Traverse, west of Wheaton, Minn., today. Orwell Reservoir, southwest of Fergus Falls, Minn., will not be drawn down this year.

Due to the drawdown, outflows from Reservation Dam will increase from approximately 30 cubic feet per second, or cfs, to 250 cfs today in order to lower Lake Traverse prior to spring snow-melt. Water from the dam passes into Mud Lake and is released through White Rock Dam. Accordingly, White Rock Dam’s outflow will increase to approximately 450 cfs by next week, due to Mud Lake being currently high. The lake is currently at elevation 972.9 feet, but it needs to be drawn down an additional 0.7 feet.

Corps officials encourage caution to everyone near the river. As discharges from White Rock Dam are increased, ice conditions will further deteriorate and become unsafe on the Bois de Sioux River as far downstream as Wahpeton, N.D., and Breckenridge, Minn.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. It contributes around $175 million to the five-state district economy. The more than 700 employees work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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Release no. 12-024