Upper Turtle River Flood Ret. 9

About Upper Turtle River Flood Ret. 9

The primary purpose of Upper Turtle River Flood Ret. 9 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 Grand Forks County Wrb (local government). It impounds the South Branch Turtle River near Arvilla.

The dam stands 71 feet tall and stretches 1,040 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 72 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 10,410 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 64 square miles. Completed in 1979, the structure is 47 years old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/02/2022.

At 71 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The North Dakota dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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