The Big Stone Lake Dam was built in 1937 as part of a depression era WPA project to lessen the downstream impact of periodic flooding. The dam features ten concrete pylons. Steel pates are fitted in slots on the sides of these plyons. These slots support and guide the steel plates as they are raised and lowered to control the water flowing out of Big Stone Lake and into the Minnesota River. In these photos, the lake water is high, so the dam is left open in an attempt to bring the lake water back down to normal.

Big Stone Lake is just to the north of the dam. It is a long and narrow lake that runs for about 26 miles. To the north of Big Stone Lake is Traverse Lake and Mud Lake, which are also long and narrow lakes that run for about 22 miles. These lakes run though a deep river channel that was carved about 8,000 years ago when a giant glacial lake overflowed and drained, creating the Minnesota River Valley and part of the Mississippi River Valley.

Interestingly, Big Stone Lake drains through the Minnesota River and Mississippi River, delivering water to the Gulf Of Mexico. Traverse Lake drains north through the Red River and delivers water to Hudson Bay. There is a very low mound of earth separating these two lakes at the Traverse Gap, low enough that during high water periods, the water can flow either way.

These lakes are often called the West Coast of Minnesota. The area is far enough out of the way that the traffic is low, yet the roads on the high bluffs overlooking the water is very reminisicent of the Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the Pacific Ocean.