Chippewa Diversion Dam - Watson Sag Weir is a concrete dam located in Chippewa County, Minnesota, built in 1938. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 23 ft23 ft tall and 1,900 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Chippewa Diversion Dam - Watson Sag Weir
The primary purpose of Chippewa Diversion Dam - Watson Sag Weir is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by USACE - St. Paul District (federal). It impounds the Chippewa River near Montevideo.
The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 1,900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 150 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 150 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2,050 square miles. Completed in 1938, 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 08/02/2017.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Chippewa |
| Nearest City | Montevideo |
| River/Stream | Chippewa River |
| Coordinates | 45.02201, -95.79139 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,900 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 150 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 150 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 60 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 150 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2,050 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 6,200 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | USACE - St. Paul District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/02/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00578 |
| Federal ID | MN00578S001 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |