Black River Impoundment
Background
After the historic 1997 Red River flood event, the Red River Basin Commission established a strategy in 2010 that identified tributaries contributing to the Red River and established a 20% basinwide peak flow and volume reduction goal for the watersheds that would reduce future flood events.
The Red Lake Watershed District (RLWD) was one of several districts to conduct an expanded distributed detention strategy. The Black River subwatershed was identified within that strategy as a location that would contribute to those reduction goals.
The Project
- An earthen embankment levee that stretches 3.1 miles in total length
- A concrete principal concrete spillway
- An auxiliary earthen spillway
- 3,162-acre-feet gated storage
- 902-acre-feet ungated storage
- Diversion ditches and outlet channels designed for a 10-year rainfall event
These components will provide the area flood damage reduction benefits and improved drainage for the heavily agricultural area.
This project was featured as the cover story in HEI’s 2021 Spring/Summer newsletter.
- Reduction of flood impacts, both locally in the rural community and regionally as part of the Red River Basin’s Long-Term Flood Solution.
- Alternative recommendations to provide the most flood reduction to reduce damages to public and private property.
- HEC-RAS 2D modelling to determine current and potential hydrology.
- An arrangement with the local landowner allows them to use the higher land of the impoundment for farming when it’s not full.
Project Details
Client: Red Lake Watershed District
Location: Near Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Project Highlights
- Reduction of flood impacts, both locally in the rural community and regionally as part of the Red River Basin’s Long-Term Flood Solution.
- Alternative recommendations to provide the most flood reduction to reduce damages to public and private property.
- HEC-RAS 2D modelling to determine current and potential hydrology.
- An arrangement with the local landowner allows them to use the higher land of the impoundment for farming when it’s not full.
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