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Dalen Coulee Water Management Study
Norman and Clay Counties, Minnesota
Project Details:
The seven-mile long Dalen Coulee has a drainage area of approximately 12 square miles,
and is located in Norman and Clay Counties, Minnesota. The coulee is located within an
area of intense agricultural production and outlets into the Wild Rice River. Frequent
flooding during the last several years has resulted in repeated crop loss. Although
flooding has caused substantial economic loss to the agricultural community, natural
and wetland areas along the coulee have flourished. Landowners along the coulee believed
the expansion of wetland areas and the increased frequency and severity of floods during
recent years resulted from increased sedimentation and the growth of vegetation within
the coulee.
The historical approach to address this type of problem is “improving” the natural stream
channel by constructing a larger channel. Natural resource agencies considered this approach
unacceptable because of concerns about wetland drainage and the loss of wildlife habitat along
the coulee. The Wild Rice Watershed District and Houston Engineering developed a concept
that would reduce flooding, while maintaining the ecological integrity of Dalen Coulee.
The Dalen Coulee project consisted of the following improvements:
- Flow reduction structure on County Ditch 6, reducing runoff into the coulee
- Runoff (wetland) detention structure, creating 80 acres of permanent pool
- One and one-half miles of sinuous channel construction/reconstruction
- Channel clearing and grubbing/structure removal and replacement
- More than 700 acres of land set-aside and flood easement
Project Benefits:
- Creation of an Interagency Work Team that established flood protection and natural
resource goals, coordination of a coulee survey, development of hydrologic and hydraulic
information, and gathering of ecological data
- Financial incentives to local landowners allowed for retirement of frequently flooded
cropland while still enabling economic viability
- Landowner participation in the problem solving process and solution. The project became
a showcase resulting in a conservation award for the efforts of Mr. Steve Dalen and his family.
 Project Award:
2004 Engineering Excellence Honor Award, Category E (Environmental) from the ACEC Minnesota
“Houston Engineering is always looking at mitigating or minimizing any environmental impact
on a project. Their philosophy is to fit the project into the area and protect the environment.
The staff is open-minded and environmentally conscious.”
Read the complete testimonial ...
- Warren Seykora, chairman of the Wild Rice Watershed District board
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