Nielsville dam
Nielsville
Nielsville is a private dam located in Polk County, Minnesota, designed for flood risk reduction along the Red River. Built in 1962, this earth dam stands at a height of 22 feet and stretches 100 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 110 acre-feet. Despite its low hazard potential and moderate risk assessment, Nielsville has not been inspected since 1996, highlighting potential concerns over its current condition and safety.
Situated in East Grand Forks, Nielsville serves as a vital infrastructure for managing water resources in the region, with a primary purpose of flood risk reduction. The dam's design features a buttress core type and uncontrolled spillway, allowing for a maximum discharge of 200 cubic feet per second. While the dam's storage capacity and operational capabilities contribute to its overall effectiveness in mitigating flood risks, the lack of recent inspections raises questions about its long-term maintenance and regulatory oversight.
As climate change continues to impact water resources and weather patterns in the area, maintaining the integrity and safety of structures like Nielsville becomes increasingly crucial. With its strategic location along the Red River and critical role in flood risk management, prioritizing regular inspections and maintenance efforts will be essential to ensure the continued resilience and effectiveness of this important infrastructure in safeguarding the surrounding community against potential water-related hazards.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Nielsville -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Sand Hill River At Climax | 36 cfs | → |
| Marsh River Near Shelly | 7 cfs | → |
| Red River Of The North At Halstad | 2,070 cfs | → |
| Goose River At Hillsboro | 126 cfs | → |
| Red River Of The North Near Thompson | 2,340 cfs | → |
| Red Lake River At Fisher | 966 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Nielsville.
Boat launches
- Mn 200 Halstad
- County Road 25 1112, Hendrum
- Us Highway 75 Polk County
- Bridge Street Crookston
- Grand Forks
- 3rd Avenue Southeast East Grand Forks
Track Nielsville in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Nielsville
Where does the data for Nielsville come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Low hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Nielsville.