Lake Darling Dam is an earthen embankment dam

Embankment dam

An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...

 on the Souris River

Souris River

The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...

 located 20 mi (32 km) northwest of Minot

Minot, North Dakota

Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...

, Ward County

Ward County, North Dakota

-National protected areas:*Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge *Hiddenwood National Wildlife Refuge *Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:...

, North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

. The dam began impounding water in April 1936 and was completed July of that year. It was created for the purposes of water storage and conservation. It is part of the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge

Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge

Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, located northwest of Minot, North Dakota, was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge straddles of the picturesque Souris River valley in northern North Dakota...

 and is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...

. The dam and lake are named after Jay N. "Ding" Darling

Jay Norwood Darling

Jay Norwood Darling , better known as Ding Darling, was a Pulitzer-Prize winning American cartoonist....

, the first director of the Bureau of Biological Survey.

Although the Fish and Wildlife Service owns the dam, its operation is controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers according to a 1989 memorandum of understanding

Memorandum of understanding

A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...

. During the 2011 Souris River flood

2011 Souris River flood

The 2011 Souris River flood is a record hundred-year flooding event on the Souris, a tributary of the Assiniboine River, which it meets near Treesbank, Manitoba. The Assiniboine meets the Red River of the North south of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The flooding has affected Saskatchewan and North Dakota,...

, the dam's reservoir reached maximum levels and releases of 7500 ft3/s in early June, contributing to flooding downstream. By June 26, releases had reached 24000 ft3/s and were being incrementally reduced thereafter.