Minneapolis Locks and Dams

Minneapolis Locks and Dams. . , During the 19th century, settlers, tourists, and artists were drawn to the Falls picturesque beauty, while entrepreneurs seized the water power of the falls for their lumber and flour mills. Meanwhile, promoters of river transportation viewed St. Anthony Falls as an obstacle to overcome, as they dreamed of extending navigation on the Mississippi River above Minneapolis., St. Anthony Falls Locks and Dams , The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played an important role in the history of the falls. In the 19th century, the Corps was responsible for saving the waterfall from destruction. In the twentieth century, the Corps designed and constructed the Upper Harbor Project, which extended the Mississippi River's navigation channel over the falls by way of the Lower and Upper St. Anthony Falls locks., The Minneapolis Upper Harbor Project included the construction of the Lower Lock and Dam completed in 1956, the Upper Lock completed in 1963, and dredging the channel 9 feet deep and a minimum of 150 feet wide., The Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls locks and dams make possible the navigation of numerous commercial and pleasure vessels over the Mississippi River's only waterfall. The building of this project fulfilled a century-old dream to extend river navigation above Minneapolis., Lock and Dam No. 1 , Lock and Dam No. 1 lies on the Mississippi River six miles downstream from the famous St. Anthony Falls. Congress originally authorized the project in 1899 to improve navigation on the river between Minneapolis and St. Paul by providing a 4 1/2 foot channel depth. The project included two locks and dams, the present Lock and Dam No. 1 and another upstream, completed in 1906., By 1907, Congress authorized the 6-foot channel on the Upper Mississippi River. In 1908, Congress authorized increasing the height at Lock and Dam No. 1 to allow hydroelectrical power generation. When the present lock and dam went into operation in 1917, the Corps completely abandoned the upstream lock and dam., By 1930, Congress realized the need for a deeper channel and authorized the present 9-foot channel. When completed in 1932, the second lock at Lock and Dam No. 1 provided 9 feet of channel depth up to St. Anthony Falls., About the Corps... , The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a major Army command with a broad set of missions and capabilities. The Corps is subdivided into divisions and then districts. The St. Paul District covers an area of approximately 139,000 square miles including most of Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa., The St. Paul District is responsible for: , . Supporting inland navigation , . Helping communities reduce flood damage , . Issuing permits for work in wetlands and rivers , . Operating 16 reservoirs for flood damage reduction, recreation, wildlife habitat and water supply. , . Building environmental restoration projects , . Responding to natural disasters , . Providing recreation activities at Corps facilities, By the early 1980s, Lock and Dam No. 1 had reached the end of its 50 year design life and underwent a major rehabilitation program to carry on another 50 years into the future., Under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreement, Fort Motor Company operates the dam and power house to produce hydroelectric power for the lock and dam and for the Ford assembly plant. Ford sells excess power generated to the local utility company.