WASHINGTON – Three dams in the Upper Mississippi drainage have been targeted by the environmentally conscious American Rivers organization for demolition:
> Anthony Falls Dam. On the Mississippi River at St. Paul. And also the related Lock and Dam 1, which has been abandoned but remain in place.
> Powell Dam. On the Kinnickinnic River at River Falls, Wisconsin. The Kinnikinnic flows into the St. Croix, which flows into the Mississippi.
> Upper Junction Falls Dam. Also on the Kinnickinnic at River Falls.
St. Anthony Falls
The Anthony Falls was built in the early 1900s to provide hydropower and navigation to the Twin Cities. The dam damaged dozens of species of mussel, fish, birds. reptiles and other wildlife. The dam no longer serves a navigation purpose. Hydropower production is significantly below capacity. “Yet,” said American Rivers, “their ecosystem impacts are far less benign.” Habitat in the upper half of the Mississippi River is degrading at a rate of up to 4% annually – primarily due to the locks and dams, according toAmerican Rivers in its annual national update on dams nationwide. Restoring the gorge at St. Anthony Falls would create habitat for 50 rare, threatened and endangered species, the report said.
One Kinni dam
The City of River Falls in northwest Wisconsin operates Powell Dam and Upper Junction Falls Dam on the 220-mile Kinnickinnic River. The Kinni, as it’s called, is a tributary to the undammed scenic St. Croix River, which is one of the best trout streams in the Midwest. The two dams have caused the river’s health to decline. The dams support an outdated hydroelectric facility that cause fluctuations in flow, increases in water temperature, and directly impact trout, macroinvertebrates, mussels and other wildlife. The River Falls City Council plans to leave the dams in place through into mid-2030s.