Posted on February 21, 2022
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will increase releases at Reservation Dam at Lake Traverse, near Wheaton, Minnesota, beginning Feb. 16, and at White Rock Dam at Mud Lake, near Wheaton, Minnesota, beginning Feb. 17.
Users should use extreme caution on the river ice below the reservoirs as these increase in flows can cause unsafe conditions.
Late summer and early fall precipitation brought Lake Traverse above its target level. The current level of Lake Traverse is approximately 976.67 feet. Water releases from Reservation Dam will be increased to lower the lake approximately half a foot prior to March 1. Releases are expected to be less than 500 cubic feet per second, or cfs. The Corps expects releases to continue throughout March as the lake is lowered to its spring drawdown elevation. Snow surveys at the end of February will determine the target elevation.
The Corps will increase releases at White Rock Dam at Mud Lake, downstream of Lake Traverse and Reservation Dam, Feb. 17. This will allow White Rock Dam to release the water being received from Lake Traverse. The target elevation is 972 feet in the first two weeks of March. Releases from White Rock Dam into the Bois de Sioux River are expected to be less than 600 cfs and will be sustained through the month of March in preparation for spring runoff. A change in conditions could require higher releases.
