Locks and dam meeting draws a crowd — next one is August 19
A new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study will consider removing some Minneapolis and St. Paul locks and dams. Public comments are now being sought. >>
Landslides are on the rise in Minnesota
Wetter weather has increased landslides that slough slopes into our roads and rivers, sometimes with dangerous consequences for water and life. A mapping project aims to identify risk areas so we can safeguard our slopes. >>
River planning is wrapping up for most corridor cities
View from Schaar's Bluff at Spring Lake Park Reserve in Hastings, part of the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area.
Most Twin Cities communities have completed their draft plans for land use and development along their local riverfront, but a few are still seeking public comments in the coming weeks or months. Learn where your community is in the process and weigh in while there is still time. >>
Help shape beloved riverfront parks: Mississippi Gorge and Hidden Falls, Crosby Farm
A key theme of the Mississippi Gorge plan update will be to preserve the natural character and tranquil setting along the river's edge. Natural surface trails in the floodplain may get improvements, but they will continue to be for pedestrian traffic only. (Photo by Lyndon Torstenson for MNRRA)
Master plans for three treasured regional parks in the heart of the urban Twin Cities are getting updated this year — the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park in Minneapolis, Hidden Falls Regional Park and Crosby Farm Regional Park in St. Paul. In late January and early February, community members will have an opportunity to see the plans and to weigh in. >>
There's still time to weigh in on local river planning
View of the High Bridge from Cherokee Park in St. Paul.
Several Twin Cities communities have completed their draft plans for land use and development along their local riverfront, but a number are still seeking public comments in the coming months. Find out where your your community stands. >>
Several metro cities want to hear from residents about their riverfront
As summer turns to fall, Twin Cities communities throughout the metro are moving fast to wrap up their draft plans for land use and development along their local riverfront.
Hastings and St. Paul Park — two cities with an abundance of high quality riverine habitat — are accepting comments through the end of November and December, respectively. Several other cities want public comments submitted before the end of September. >>
Corps study to determine local locks and dams' fate, but questions abound
The Army Corps of Engineers is considering whether to maintain or transfer ownership of local locks and dams, including Upper St. Anthony Falls lock (visible in the aerial above). (Photo ACOE)
There was no shortage of good questions at a recent meeting Army Corps of Engineers' lock and dam disposition study. However, some of the answers left attendees asking for a more robust process for figuring out what to do with our local locks and dams. >>
Future of Mpls. locks and dams uncertain — Public meetings July 16 & 17
Albert Bierstadt's depiction of St. Anthony Falls circa 1860. While some seek preservation of the dams for hydropower, others advocate for the return of a more naturally flowing river. (Painting detail courtesy Wikimedia)
Will we stay the course or are rapids on the horizon? The Army Corps of Engineers is studying its options for the Minneapolis locks and dams and holding public meetings in Minneapolis and St. Paul on this topic July 16 and 17. >>
Minnehaha Academy building heights update
After neighbors, FMR and Sierra Club raised concerns, the Minneapolis city council zoning and planning committee voted to lower the height of Minnehaha Academy's proposed campus expansion on West River Parkway.
The committee's recommendation to reduce the height of the new school buildings from 54 to 46 feet and use bird-safe glass goes before the full council for a vote May 25. >>
Is it time to remove dams from the Mississippi river gorge?
The spillway at Lock and Dam 1, a.k.a. the Ford Dam, in St. Paul.
Dam removal discussions are ramping up in the Twin Cities, and for good reason. Just as the Army Corps of Engineers embarks on a study to determine future ownership and operation of the locks and dams in Minneapolis and St. Paul, our local Mississippi river gorge was named to the 2018 list of American Rivers "10 Most Endangered Rivers."
Learn more, including FMR's position and recent media coverage. >>