Red River Structure

The Red River Structure is the largest of three gated concrete structures built by Ames on the southern embankment of the FM Area Diversion Project.

Situated seven miles south of Fargo, North Dakota, the structure features three 50-foot-wide Tainter gates. These are the radial arm floodgates that control the flow of water. Project scope for Ames has included mass excavation and embankment, steel piling, mass concrete, a spillway, a stilling basin, dam walls, a service bridge, and a control building. Because the structure is classified as a dam, the project must meet the strict requirements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Ames hit major milestones in 2025 with the installation of the Tainter gates and the rerouting of the Red River through the structure. Construction is on track to continue through the spring of 2026. The other two structures—the Diversion Inlet and the Wild Rice River Structure—were completed in 2023.

The overall flood diversion project will provide the region with permanent, reliable flood protection starting in 2027. The Red River Structure and the Wild Rice River Structure will meter floodwaters through the metro area and release water through the Diversion Inlet into a 30-mile-long channel on the metro’s far western edge.

Learn more:
Metro Flood Diversion Authority