FLOOD00922

• County: Statewide
• Community: Pipestone Minnesota
• Title: Problem Identification Report and Appendixes Pipestone Creek Minnesota
• Date: 4/1/1995
• Prepared For: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Prepared By: Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

BASIN DESCRIPTION

A description of the existing physical. environmental, social. economic.
geotechnical, and cultural resources settings for the city of Pipestone follows below.

PHYSICAL SETI1NG
The Main Ditch is fed by County Ditch A on the northeast side of the city of
Pipestone and flows into the upstream end of the natural portion of Pipestone Creek
within the Pipestone National Monument. Main Ditch and County Ditch A are manmade
channels which were constructed in order to convey the surface runoff from the adjacent
drainage basins. The Main Ditch and County Ditch A drainage basins are located entirely
within Pipestone County in the southwest portion of Minnesota. Pipestone Creek is a
left-bank tributary to the Big Sioux River, with its mouth located on the northeast side of
Sioux Falls. The Main Ditch drains approximately 9 square miles just upstream from its
confluence with County Ditch A. The Main Ditch drainage area upstream from
Winnewissa Falls is about 32 square miles. County Ditch A has a drainage area of
approximately 21 square miles.

Development in the flood plain within the city limits has occurred, but it is
generally limited to the northern part of the city. Areas adjacent to the intersection of the
primary transportation routes are also developed and are within the flood plain. Land use
in the Main Ditch flood plain is mostly agricultmal with some residential, commercial,
and recreational development.

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