Lower Red Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Clearwater County, Minnesota, built in 1931. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 17 ft17 ft tall and 36,500 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Lower Red Lake Dam
Lower Red Lake Dam is a dam in Clearwater, Minnesota. The dam is owned by USACE - St. Paul District (federal). It impounds the Red Lake River near Thief River Falls.
The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 36,500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 288,640 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,428,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1,921 square miles. Completed in 1931, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/15/2021.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Clearwater |
| Nearest City | Thief River Falls |
| River/Stream | Red Lake River |
| Coordinates | 47.95983, -95.27462 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 17 ft |
| Dam Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Length | 36,500 ft |
| Year Completed | 1931 (95 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 3,428,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 3,428,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,210,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 288,640 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1,921 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 3,700 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | USACE - St. Paul District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/15/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00573 |
| Federal ID | MN00573 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |