Twin Cities locks and dams

Over the coming years, Twin Citians will face a momentous decision: Should we remove dams on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis and St. Paul?

FMR staff and River Guardians are actively engaged in this issue and others surrounding the locks and dams in the metro area. Updates are below.

Twin Cities locks and dams
The case for and against lock and dam removal
Removing two metro locks and dams would reconnect 39 miles of river through the Mississippi's only gorge, which is in the heart of the Twin Cities. But is dam removal the best scenario for our metro river? Here's what we need to consider. Read more
Drawdown
Meet our Twin Cities locks and dams
See a map of our three Twin Cities locks and dams, a timeline of when and why they were built, and find out why we may not need them anymore. Read more
All three Twin Cities locks and dams
What we heard on this summer's lock and dam tours
This summer, FMR and our partners talked with over 600 community members about the future of our Twin Cities locks and dams. We led more than than 20 focus-group tours that brought many people to the river in new ways. Here's what we heard. Read more
Join us for lock and dam focus group tours
Learn more about the big study that will consider the future of two locks and dams in the heart of the Twin Cities. Read more
A photo showing the river almost emptied to the river bottom as part of a draw down by the Army Corps.
An update on the future of St. Anthony Falls

There's a lot happening around St. Anthony Falls. Here's the latest on the Army Corps' disposition study, upcoming events about the future of the lock area, and that mysterious underwater wall.  >>

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Dam removal brings "river giants" back to Minnesota waterways

A recent Star Tribune article celebrated the return of paddlefish, sturgeon and other river species as a result of dam removal projects across the state. Could this kind of restoration be possible for the metro Mississippi?  >>

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Hastings Sand Coulee SNA South Unit, Hastings
Saturday, October 12, 2024 - 9:00am to 12:00pm
Pine Bend Bluffs Natural Area at the Flint Hills Resources property
Saturday, October 26, 2024 - 9:00am to 12:00pm
3M's oak woodlands, Cottage Grove