Ross Impoundment
About the Ross Impoundment
The Ross Impoundment project was implemented by the Two Rivers Watershed District to achieve the purpose of flood control along Lateral 1 of State Ditch #95 in the upstream areas known as "Skunk Creek". The project is located south of Minnesota State Highway 11, approximately 2 miles northeast of the City of Badger, MN, in the vicinity of sections 32 & 33 of Ross Township, Roseau County. Major construction was completed in 2007 and 2008, and the project was totally operational during the flood of 2009. It proved its worth the first year of operation and has been used several times since.
Land within the impoundment is controlled by the TRWD either through ownership or flood easements. The land that is owned by the TRWD is either in the federal Conservation Reserve Program or is rented out to producers who either hay it or grow crops such as wheat or soybeans. So far operation of the gate has not impeded the
use of the land for agriculture. This has provided a win-win situation as both flood control and agricultural production has been achieved.
The impoundment has a detailed operating plan and is operated such that whenever there is downstream flooding on the landscape to the point that water is spilling out of downstream ditches or waterways, the gate will be closed. It will remain closed until such time that there is no more downstream flooding, and then the gate is opened to drain down the impoundment dry to allow for agricultural and storage for any additional follow on flood events. Benefits to downstream lands are achieved all the way to the Red River of the North. The impoundment will control up to 3.7" of runoff from an upstream drainage area of 18.2 square miles.