WATSON - Recent rains and high water levels have led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue to increase flows from Lac qui Parle Dam.
The dam is located on the Minnesota River in west central Minnesota near Watson.
The region received nearly an inch of rain over the weekend and that, coupled with snow melt, resulted in a significant increase of flows into the reservoir, necessitating the need to increase discharges through the dam, said a news release from the Corps' St. Paul District.
Flows were increased Tuesday to 2,500 cubic feet per second and then to 3,000 on Wednesday. Current inflows are at 3,000 cubic feet per second but are forecast to reach 4,500 or more by Friday. Normal November inflow is 350 cubic feet per second.
The Corps engineers discovered a sinkhole on the downstream dam embankment Oct. 28. While assessing the sinkhole, divers found scouring under the abutment wall footings and concrete dam apron. None of these issues are an imminent threat to the integrity of the dam.
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While outflows from the dam will be increased, the lake elevation will increase also. The pool's current elevation is 933.6 feet, but is forecast to increase to 937 to 938 feet by the middle of December. Normal pool elevation for this time of year is 934 feet.
