Many ecologists believe the rapids would bring with them the islands, wildlife, and landscape that once graced this portion of the river. Here, an idea of what the area around the University of Minnesota could look like. Mike Davis, program consultant for ecological and water resources for the Minnesota DNR, agrees that the potential benefits of a restored Mississippi River Gorge are many.
Over the years, Davis has worked on numerous projects involving the restoration of the gorge. Anthony Falls International Kayak Competition, a giant sturgeon fishing contest. But even Davis acknowledges that nothing about the concept is simple.
Anthony Falls locks and dams the Corps is still required to maintain Upper St. Anthony, in case of flooding. On the other hand, the cost of dam removals varies widely; every project involves a unique set of circumstances. Paul on the Mississippi ; and what the restoration process would entail. Pages: 1 2 3. Ellen Burkhardt is a freelance writer. When she's not writing, editing, or interviewing, chances are she's on the road seeking out good food, drink, and fodder for her next story.
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A low-head dam also stretches across the river, so paddlers not only face the prospect of rocks in the channel, but pieces of concrete and rebar and on rare occasions, big pieces of trash like washing machines. Rivers are also dynamic, so conditions can change from one year to the next. Depending on the river level, paddling through the Chain is either impossible or a breeze. Take the Chain. You can always portage around them if the river is too low.
How you approach paddling through or portaging will depend on how high the river is. The guidelines below are based on the river height as measured at the St.
Louis Gauge. From 16 to 20 feet, your best bet will probably be to stick to the middle of the Chain stay right of the intake towers but scout it out first and follow this advice from the Rivergator website:.
At 20 feet, the best route over the Chain is between the intake towers and over the rapids. At 24 feet and up, most paddlers can safely navigate over the Chain; you may notice only minor turbulence at that river level. Seasonal water level changes and other factors would also influence access. If the ACOE decides to transfer ownership of the dams, it is unclear if Brookfield or another company or agency would be required or want to assume ownership and how maintenance costs would impact profitability.
Anthony: 8. Water intake from the Mississippi River for drinking water is located upstream of St. Anthony Falls and would not be affected. It will take time and research to fully answer this. Dam removal has happened throughout the U. Certainly, it is possible to structurally remove the locks and dams, but the costs would be substantial and the environmental impacts of the deconstruction process would need to be thoroughly studied and reviewed by stakeholders and the public.
Removal of these two dams would reduce ongoing operation and maintenance costs. However, the upfront costs to remove the dam and restore the rapids will be significant, so any net cost savings would likely not be realized until the longer term. This is not yet known, but it is likely to be expensive. This would be a massive project with many variables and options and would likely be tackled in phases over many years.
A detailed feasibility study would be needed to examine a range of possible costs for each component or stage. Projects of this size usually require federal government funding. These structures were built and are owned and maintained by the federal government. Most likely, federal, state, local and private sources would need to be tapped to accomplish a project of this scale. The gorge is bordered by neighborhoods in south Minneapolis and the west end of St. Paul that have benefited from proximity to Mississippi River parkland preserved over a century ago.
Meanwhile, river-adjacent neighborhoods in north and northeast Minneapolis have been cut off from their riverfront by industry, highways and aging infrastructure. Removing dams in south Minneapolis could compete with the funding needed for new parks, trails and community amenities along the river north of downtown.
The study will examine several options, ranging from continuing operations as they are now; developing a shared use agreement with another agency or organization, turning the facilities over to other federal, state or local entities; to removing the locks and dams permanently.
Public comments on the scope of the study are being sought through October 20, and a final report will be available in
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