our Projects

• 01/

  Bear park Project

  The Bear Park Project was completed in 1984. The designed to hold 4000 acre feet of water during high runoff events, reducing flood damages on the Sand Hill and Red River.
• 02/

  V. Olson Dam

  The Verdell Olson Dam began with the construction of a detention dam in the outlet channel from a 50 acre basin. The dam eliminated damages caused by extremely high flows each spring.
• 04/

  Winger Dam

  The proposed Winger Dam was designed to hold 12,000 acre feet creating a lake with 6,000 acrea feet of possible flood storage. After years of effort and expense, the project died due to the inability to obtain proper permiting from the US Army Corp and MN DNR.
• 08/

  Ogaard Impoundment

  The project was meant to complement the Winger Dam and provide mitigation for the dam. This project died when the Winger Dam was denied permitting.
• 09/

  River Clean up

  To complement the district's missions statement, the district supported all efforts to clean our local river. Tires, mattresses, garbage, carcuses, and appliances were just a few things found and removed from our river.
• 09/A

  River Stabilization

  The Sand Hill River Watershed district installed riprap at four erosion protection areas along the Sand Hill River. Three of these areas are located in the vicinity of the city of Fertile in sections 20 and 29 of Garfield Township. The fourth site is located in the NW 1/4 of sect(ion 28, Liberty Township.
• 10/

  West Mill

  The City of Fertile petitioned the Sand Hill River Watershed District with a proposed recreational lake west of Fertile at the site of a feed mill that failed in 1950. The project died due to a lack of funding and MN DNR permitting restraints.
• 15/

  Ring Dikes

  Farmstead Ring Dikes

  City Ring Dikes

  The Sand Hill River Watershed District has assisted in the construction of many ring dike projects, mostly on the west end of the district. The latest project is a ring dike around the City of Climax. The district is waiting funding for a ring dike around the City of Nielsville
• 16/

  Kurass Lake

  The Watershed District assisted Garfield Township in 1998 with control structure to lower the lake level of Kurass Lake and establish an ordinary high water level.
• 18/

  Vesledahl Wetland Banking

  Multiple agencies planned to develop and restore areas of wetlands that will serve as a "bank" for wetland "credits" to be used to offset damages done to other wetlands for road construction projects.
• 19/

  Union Lake Erosion Control

  The district discovers a a workable solution for solving the erosion that was occurring at the site in section 31 of Knute Township, Polk County, Minnesota.
• 21/

  Fish Passage

  Since the early 2000's the Sand Hill River Watershed District has collaborated with partnering agencies to restore the Sand Hill River and make it a viable fishery once again.
• 22/

  Section 23/Russia Boundary

  Collaboration between the Red Lake Watershed District and the Sand Hill River Waterhsed District solves flooding for local landwoners.
• 23/

  Section 23/Russia Boundary

  Collaboration between the Red Lake Watershed District and the Sand Hill River Waterhsed District solves flooding for local landwoners.
• 28/

  King Township- Hopke Diversion

  The district cost shares with King Township to maintain the district's policy to manage water through a grass waterway vs. crossing farm fields.
• 29/

  Rock riffles

  The Sand Hill River Watershed District collaborated with many partners to minimize future head cutting along the Sand Hill channel and reduce to occurrence of bank sluffing.
• 30/

  Jerde/Taylor Erosion control

  The District helps landowners implement erosion control measures in Section 13 of Liberty Township.

Kurass Lake

Officials from Garfield township, came before the board with a request for assistance in December of 1997. Kurass Lake had been rising continuously for the past couple of years and after the township raised the road two different times, it was within four inches of overtaking the township road again. This road was a school bus and mail route, and the main access for the area. The situation presented a significant hazard to travel. The Garfield township board had surveyed the area and discussed options available with the DNR. The DNR agreed that the lake is definitely above the ordinary high water mark and could be lowered 2' to bring it back to it's former level. The lake, as per their survey, could be drained to the southwest through a series of small potholes and eventually drained into Kittleson Creek.

After review of the township survey, it was determined that a control structure could be placed on the driveway east of Allen Torpet's driveway (regulated by the watershed) and with minor dirt removal between the sloughs, Kurass Lake could be drained down during non-flood event periods and closed during flood periods. The sloughs would not be drained, but water would pass over the top of them. With this project in place, water would be released during the summer and fall with excellent storage available to hold the spring runoff until downstream channels are able to handle the runoff.

The district agreed to up to $5,000 on an 80% watershed, 20% township split. Permanent easements for construction and future maintenance from the landowners involved were obtained by the township.