Two Rivers Historical Park

Two Rivers Historical Park. . , 100-year chronology of significant events affecting water quality in Anoka and the Mississippi River, c. 1900 , Residential sewage flowed directly to the river without treatment., 1916 , Anoka's first rudimentary wastewater treatment system was built on this site., 1917 , The first Lock and Dam was built for commercial navigation at St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis , But the dam degraded river water quality by preventing the natural flushing of the river during spring. Raw sewage began to collect above the dam and in the river's backwaters., 1926 , The Minnesota State Board of Health declared the river a public health nuisance. , Very few fish survived in murky waters. Concern for the public's health, not the environment, brought action., 1938 , First major wastewater treatment plant on the Mississippi River opened in St. Paul , Within four months of opening, river water quality improved greatly. Within two years, fish began reappearing., 1956 , In Anoka, the city built its first operational treatment plant., 1956–1965 , The Twin Cities' population increased rapidly, exceeding treatment capacity at the Metropolitan plant in St. Paul and decreasing river water quality. The Anoka plant was also pushed to its limit., 1967 , The Anoka plant was upgraded and expanded to meet increasing needs of the area., 1970 , The Legislature created the Metropolitan Waste Control Council (MWCC) to manage wastewater treatment in the seven-county Twin Cities area, and MWCC assumed operation of the Anoka plant., 1972 , The federal Clean Water Act set a "fishable, swimmable" goal for the Mississippi River., 1982 , Industrial waste pretreatment in the Twin Cities began reducing the impact of heavy metals on the Mississippi River., 1987 , Mayflies return to the metropolitan area after an absence of almost [illegible], signifying [illegible] water quality., 1988 , Fifteen years after PCBs were banned, research shows a 90 percent PCB reduction in fish., 1992 , River fishing improves greatly in the metropolitan area. A "catch and release" policy was enacted for prize walleyes., 1999 , The Anoka Wastewater Treatment Plant was closed and its flow diverted to the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Paul., , This site played a key role in the history of Anoka and its development over the past 100 years., LOCATED ON THIS peninsula, wastewater treatment facilities helped protect the public health and environment continuously for more than 75 years, from 1916 to 1993., THE CITY BUILT its first rudimentary wastewater treatment system here in 1916. Forty years later, the city built its first full-fledged wastewater treatment plant. The plant was upgraded several times and continued to serve the area until it was closed in 1993., IN 1970, OPERATION of the plant was assumed by the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission (MWCC), an organization created by the legislature to manage wastewater collection and treatment in the seven-county metropolitan area. In 1994, the collection and treatment system formerly governed by MWCC became an operating unit under the Metropolitan Council and was renamed Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES). Upon closing the plant, MCES deeded the land back to the City of Anoka for this park., TWO RIVERS HISTORICAL Park is a cooperative effort between MCES and the City of Anoka to introduce visitors to important aspect of the area's history., Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Treatment Sites , A Metro , B Seneca , C Blue Lake , D Chaska , E Stillwater , F Cottage Grove , G Rosemount , H Empire , I Hastings