Discovery Sites
How to Get There: North access to the Marsh Lake Dam: From Hwy 59/7 in Appleton, go south on Hwy 119, turn west (right) onto Hwy 51/90th St SW. Stay on Hwy 51 until the pavement ends, continue going west on 95th St SW for 0.5 miles then take a left onto 255th Ave SW.
South access to the Marsh Lake Dam: From Hwy 59/7 in Appleton, go south on Hwy 119 from Appleton to Hwy 34. Turn west (right) onto Hwy 34. Go 2 miles to 271st Ave, turn north (right) and take the gravel road straight to the parking lot.
NOTE: A section of 255th Ave is a new road and Google maps does not yet show this section that connects to the old portion of 100th.
What You Will Find: Natural areas known for birdwatching
Services at This Site: None
Marsh Lake is on the upper Minnesota River between Odessa and Appleton, MN. The Marsh Lake Dam is owned and maintained by the Corps of Engineers as part of the Lac Qui Parle flood control project. The fixed-crest dam holds a conservation pool in the upper portion of the Lac Qui Parle reservoir.
Marsh Lake lies within the Lac Qui Parle Wildlife Management Area and is home to Minnesota’s largest breeding colony of American white pelicans and several species of fish. Creation of the reservoir and rerouting of the Pomme de Terre River in 1939 increased reservoir fish and wildlife habitat and created new colonial water bird habitat. The reservoir contains crappie, walleye, northern pike and white bass.
Work is underway to reroute the Pomme de Terre to enter the Minnesota river below the reservoir below the dam, and is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
Things to Do: Discovery Site, Outdoor Activities
