Red Lake Watershed District

1. Red Lake Watershed District Impoundments Within the Thief River Watershed

2. RLWD Impoundments in the Thief River Watershed • Moose River Impoundment • North Pool • South Pool • Lost River • Elm Lake

3. Elm Lake (Farmes Pool)

4. Elm Lake – Location • Marshall County, approximately 17 miles NE of Thief River Falls. • Drainage area of Ditch #200 above Elm Lake is 63 sq. miles.

5. Elm Lake – History • Elm Lake was drained around 1920 due to the construction of Branch #200 of JD #11. • Restoration project was a cooperative effort. • USFWS, MN DNR, RLWD, Ducks Unlimited • Majority of funding was from DU. • Largest DU project in the lower 48 states at the time • Cost • $2 Million • Operational 1991

6. Elm Lake – Purpose • Multi-purpose • Flood Control • Increase Wildlife Values • Upstream drainage improvement

7. Elm Lake Flow Diagram

8. Elm Lake Outlet Structure Outlet Structure

9. Elm Lake – Operation and Maintenance • RLWD determines need for additional stop-logs to provide downstream flood control during significant flood events • Agassiz NWR responsible for operating outlet • Various other maintenance items are the responsibility of either the USFWS, State of Minnesota, or the RLWD.

10. Elm Lake – Designed Storage

11. Elm Lake – Actual Storage

12. Elm Lake – Additional Comments • Investigative WQ monitoring on Ditch #200 • 2004 Hydrograph

13. Lost River Pool

14. Lost River – Location • Located in Marshall County, Grand Plain Township, approximately 20 miles NE of Thief River Falls. • The drainage area above the impoundment is 53 square miles.

15. Lost River Flow Diagram

16. Lost River – History and Purpose • Constructed in mid-1970’s by the MN DNR to improve waterfowl habitat. • December 14, 1978: The RLWD & MNDNR formally agreed to modify the impoundment by raising the elevation of the dike and emergency spillway.

17. Lost River - Description • Four 48 in. diameter gated pipes and a spillway from Ditch #200 of JD #11 supply water to the impoundment • Approximately 10 miles of earthen embankment, an outlet control structure, and an emergency spillway into Ditch #200 • This impoundment is an “off-channel” reservoir. • Lost River Pool is now a multi-purpose impoundment • Wildlife and Flood Control

18. Lost River - Structure • Outlets to Marshall County Ditch #200 Stop-Logs Screw Gate

19. Lost River – Operation and Maintenance • Operation and maintenance is the responsibility of the state. • Cost - $109,000 to modify

20. Lost River – Intended Storage

21. Lost River – Actual Operation and Storage

22. Lost River – 2004 Hydrograph

23. Moose River Impoundment

24. Moose River Impoundment - General • Cooperative effort between the RLWD and the MN DNR • 2 pool design • Flood Control and Wildlife Management • Built to reduce flood damages by impounding floodwaters in the upper reaches of the watershed. • Wildlife and rec. benefits enhanced by water retained in the two pools • Stream flow maintenance • Fire Control

25. Moose River Impoundment - Construction • Constructed on land managed by the MN DNR • $3.4 Million total construction cost • $1,690,000 – State of Minnesota • $612,000 – Red Lake Watershed District • $1,126,000 – Red River Watershed Management Board • Operational in 1988

26. Moose River ImpoundmentWatershed Boundary

27. Moose River Dike Cross Section

28. Moose River Impoundment Water Control Structures

29. Moose RiverFlow Diagram

30. Moose River Impoundment Operation and Maintenance • RLWD responsible for operation of floodgates • Local person monitors and records elevations and stream gages, also operates the floodgates as directed by the RLWD • Outflows from pools coordinated with Agassiz NWR and Thief Lake WMA • Maintenance is the responsibility of the RLWD and the State

31. Moose RiverImpoundmentStream Gage Sites and Drainage Areas

32. Moose River Impoundment Functional Design Data

33. Moose River Impoundment Water Storage

34. Moose River Impoundment Water Storage

35. Moose River Impoundment– North Pool

36. Moose River – North Pool – Purpose and History • Outlets into the Moose River (JD #21) • Major Components • 5 miles of diversion ditch • 4 miles of earthen dike (top elevation = 1218) • One gated outlet structure • One rock lined emergency spillway (elev. 1216) • Approx. 1/3 (41.7 sq. mi.) of the total Moose River Impoundment project drainage area drains to the Moose River

37. Moose River Impoundment – North Pool Actual Operation and Total Storage

38. Moose River Impoundment – North Pool 2004 Hydrograph

39. Moose River Impoundment – South Pool

40. Moose River Impoundment – South Pool • Outlets into the Mud River (JD #11) • Major Components • 3 miles of diversion ditch • 9 miles of earthen dike (elevation 1220) • 4 miles of earthen dike between N &S pools (1220) • Inter-pool structure which may be used to pass water between the pools • 2 rock-lined emergency spillways (at elevation 1218) • Approximately 2/3 (83.3 sq. mi.) of the total project drainage area (125 sq. mi.) drains to the Mud River

41. Moose River South Pool - Actual Operation and Total Storage

42. Moose River Impoundment – South Pool 2004 Hydrograph

43. Moose River Impoundment – Additional Comments • Maintenance Issues

44. Water Quality Monitoring

45. Water Quality Monitoring

46. Water Quality Monitoring • RLWD • At least 4 times per year • Field Measurements of turbidity, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, temperature, stage • Samples collected for total phosphorus, orthophosphorus, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrates & nitrites, ammonia nitrogen, fecal coliform, e-coli

47. Water Quality Monitoring • Grygla River Watch • Monthly during open water • Field Measurements of turbidity, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, temperature, stage

48. Water Quality Monitoring Results • No impairments for turbidity found on the Moose or Mud Rivers • DO is low on Moose & Mud Rivers • Moose River. • P and N are high relative to ecoregion values • Mud River • P is high compared to ecoregion values. • Thief River will be impaired for turbidity from Thief Lake to Thief River Falls • Source = ??? Complicated question, will need better understanding of the w-shed, further study & research

49. Questions?