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.

An overview of this topic followed by updates are below.

Twin Cities locks and dams
The cutoff wall: St. Anthony Falls' hidden hazard

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December 8, 2022
The nearly 150-year old cutoff wall underneath St. Anthony Falls is a critical piece of infrastructure. But you wouldn't know it by how the wall is inspected and maintained. Read more
Water flows over the St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam on a sunny day.
What would an undammed metro Mississippi River look like?

update

November 20, 2022
How would the removal of Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock & Dam No. 1 change the river? Compare renderings of the metro Mississippi after dam removal with present-day photos. Read more
Lower St. Anthony Falls and downtown Minneapolis skyline, illustrated with more riverbank
Lock & Dam Study Public Engagement Events (Fall 2022)

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October 5, 2022
Attend a series of events hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers as they begin their disposition study for two Twin Cities locks and dams. Read more
Image of Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam No. 1
It's time: Comment on the lock & dam disposition study

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September 22, 2022
Use this form to comment on the Army Corps' disposition study of two Twin Cities locks and dams. Read more
Image of Lock and Dam No. 1
What you need to know about the Army Corps' studies of Twin Cities locks and dams

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September 20, 2022
What will happen to metro locks and dams? Here's a rundown of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disposition study process and timeline, the scenarios under consideration, plus ways you can shape the river's future. Read more
The case for and against lock and dam removal

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September 20, 2022
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

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September 14, 2022
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

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Upcoming Events

Tend a prairie at Hastings River Flats Park [WAITLIST]
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Near the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers, Hastings
Webinar: Sulfide mining’s looming threat to Minnesota and the Mississippi River
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Zoom
Keep 'em Clean: Stencil St. Paul storm drains with FMR
August 1 through October 15, 2026
Throughout St. Paul

See all Upcoming Events