ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will draw down the pool at Orwell Dam, near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, mid-August to facilitate repairs and inspection mid-September.
To prepare for the repairs and inspection, the reservoir will be drawn down 14 feet starting around Aug. 15. The drawdown will take approximately 30 days, and the rate will be limited to around 0.5 feet/day. A full draw down is anticipated around Sept. 15.
To safely complete the repairs and inspection, bulkheads will be used to shut off the spillway flow. This will cause some reduction of outflow and minor drop in downstream river levels. The bulkheads are scheduled to be placed around Sept. 15 and removed by Sept. 19, weather depending. While the bulkheads are in place, the two low water control pipes in the abutment walls will be used to maintain a flow of 80 cubic feet per second. After the repair and inspection, river levels will gradually return to normal, and the pool is expected to refill in 3-4 weeks, depending on rainfall.
The repairs will consist of replacing the chains on the Tainter Gate and rehabbing the floor drains. A diving inspection of the underwater features of the structure will also be completed. The repairs and inspection will allow for continued safe performance of the dam when needed and to schedule future maintenance activities.
Orwell Dam is owned and operated by the Corps of Engineers. The 72-year-old dam was constructed in 1953 with a height of 60 feet and a length of 1,344 feet at its crest.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Program uses a risk-informed approach to manage its portfolio of 694 dams, with public safety the number one priority. Critical to an effective safety program is the focus on public safety, but it also requires continuous and periodic project inspections and evaluations. The Dam Safety Program seeks to ensure that Corps owned and operated dams do not present unacceptable risks to people, property or the environment with the emphasis on people.
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| Date Taken: | 08.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2025 11:34 |
| Story ID: | 545721 |
| Location: | FERGUS FALLS, MINNESOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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