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Coon Rapids Dam

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Coordinates: 45°08′38″N 93°18′41″W / 45.14384°N 93.31149°W / 45.14384; -93.31149
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45°08′38″N 93°18′41″W / 45.14384°N 93.31149°W / 45.14384; -93.31149

Coon Rapids Dam
A photo of the original Coon Rapids dam and powerhouse in 1928.
Coon Rapids Dam in 2004, after the 1997 reconstruction
CountryUnited States
LocationAnoka County and Hennepin County, Minnesota
PurposeOriginally power generation; currently recreational
StatusOperational
Construction began1913
Opening date1914
Built byH. M. Byllesby & Company[1] (original dam)
Owner(s)Three Rivers Park District
Dam and spillways
Type of damConcrete gravity dam
ImpoundsMississippi River
Height19 feet (5.8 m)
Length1,070 feet (330 m)
Reservoir
Surface area600 acres[1]
Maximum length6 miles (9.7 km)
Power Station
Operator(s)Northern States Power Company
Commission date1914
Decommission date1966

The Coon Rapids Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Mississippi River located in Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids, Minnesota. It is approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of downtown Minneapolis. Between 1914 and 1966, it provided hydroelectric power generation for northern Twin Cities suburbs. Since 1969, it has been used primarily for recreation. As it does not have any locks, the dam is the northern terminus of the navigable portion of the Mississippi River.[1][note 1] The dam is owned by Hennepin County's Three Rivers Park District, but Anoka County owns and operates a park on its side of the river.

Facility[edit]

The Coon Rapids dam powerhouse under construction in 1914
The original Coon Rapids dam and powerhouse in 1928

In 1898, plans began to form to build a hydroelectric power generation dam near Coon Rapids, Minnesota.[2] While originally conceived as a private venture, in 1911 congress approved federal funding for the dam to make it a joint private-public operation.[2] Land was purchased from John Dunn, after whom the island in the middle of the channel is named. Construction on the Coon Rapids dam began in January 1913 and was completed in March of 1914; power generation began in August of 1914. [3] Over 42,000 cubic yards of concrete were used in the construction of the dam.[2] It had 28 steel gates which were raised and lowered to allow water to flow under them.[4] One of the original steel gates is available for viewing on the Anoka County side of the dam.

The dam does not contain a lock. In November 1913, after construction had started, the St. Anthony Falls Commercial Club lobbied for Congress to add a lock to the dam.[5] However, as the river above the dam was deemed not to be navigable, the power company was not required to build the $150,000 lock.[1]

By the 1960s, hydroelectric generation on the dam was no longer profitable, and power generation was halted in 1966. The plant was demolished in 1967, and in 1969 Northern States Power Company donated the dam to the Hennepin County Parks District.[6] A walkway was constructed across the dam in 1977,[7] and the park opened in 1978.[8]

In 1994, Anoka County entered a thirty year lease agreement with Three Rivers Park District for the Anoka County side of the dam.[9] Due to the cost of upkeep, Three Rivers Park District considered selling the dam to the Minnesota Department for Natural Resources in 2010, resulting in a dispute with Anoka County in 2011 which caused Three Rivers Park district to revoke the lease.[10][11] The dispute was resolved with Anoka County's purchase of the leased land.[12]

1997 reconstruction[edit]

By the 1990s, the dam was facing serious wear and tear, and was rated a "significant hazard" by the Army Corps of Engineers, with severe effects predicted if the dam collapsed, including possible deaths.[6] Repairs were recommended within five years. The original concrete pilings were wearing away, foundation soil was eroding, and many of the twenty-eight wooden and metal gates were broken and twisted as a result of ice.[6] From 1995 to 1997, Hennepin County Parks carried out a $6.2 million two year plan to reconstruct the dam. While the original footings were used, the rest of the dam was entirely rebuilt.[13][8] The new dam consisted of four gates with inflatable rubber bladders.[14] Tears in the bladders requiring repair occurred in 1997[15] and 2000,[14] resulting in a complete replacement of the bladders with an upgraded design in 2002.[8]

Later renovation[edit]

The rubber bladders installed in the 1997 reconstruction proved to be ineffective in preventing the spread of Asian carp further up the river. Between 2013 and 2014, the rubber bladders were replaces by nine steel gates in a $16 million dollar project.[16] As part of the same renovation, a 450-foot stilling basin was installed, replacing a deteriorating concrete apron.[17]

There have been proposals to restore power generation at the dam.[18] Proposals by the park district from 2009 proposed a $30 million plant which would generate 44 megawatts of power per year.[19] The proposals have not gained traction.[18]

Specifications[edit]

The completed Coon Rapids dam in 1920 with the original "flow under" design present

The dam consists of a main 1,000-foot (300 m) section with a 103-foot (31 m) control gate and nine additional steel gates, connecting the Hennepin County side to Dunn Island on the Anoka County side of the river. A shorter 400 foot section, originally containing the 200 foot long powerhouse, connects the island to the Anoka County side.[3] The difference between the headwater and tailwater is usually around 19 feet (5.8 m), with a 13 foot difference between the dam and the original riverbed.[3] The pool is around 600 acres, with the effects of the dam diminishing after the Ferry Street bridge in Champlain, about six miles upstream.[1]

Recreation[edit]

Pedestrian bridge where Coon Creek meets the Mississippi River on the Anoka County side of the park

Three Rivers Park District, a special park district serving the suburban areas of the Twin Cities including suburban Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Ramsey counties, owns the dam and operates the 160-acre Mississippi Gateway Regional Park on the southwest side of the dam.[20] Anoka County Parks owns and operates a 446-acre park, Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, on their side of the dam.[21] Many species, including mink, beaver, hawks, osprey, deer, turtles and river otters, can be spotted in the parks.

Both parks are sites for the National Parks Passport Program for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Both parks has a staffed visitor's centers with restrooms, picnic areas, and trails. Mississippi Gateway Regional Park has an archery range. Fishing, canoeing, and other water activities are popular.

Cenaiko Lake, a 28.59 acre[22] artificial lake on the Anoka County side, is stocked with Rainbow Trout; other species are present as well.[23] Cenaiko Lake was created in 1987[24] and is named after former Anoka County commissioner Nick Cenaiko.[25]

Over 350,000 people visit the parks each year.[26]

The dam connects to Elm Creek Park Reserve via the Rush Creek Regional Trail.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ In 2015, the Upper St. Anthony Falls lock was permanently closed to prevent the spread of invasive species, namely Asian carp. As such, Saint Anthony Falls is currently the practical limit even though the lock still exists and theoretically allows passage until the Coon Rapids Dam.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Anfinson, John (2003). River of History: A Historic Resources Study of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (PDF). Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Cooper, Philip. "Coon Rapids Hydroelectric Dam | MNopedia". www.mnopedia.org. Minnesota Historical Society.
  3. ^ a b c "Coon Rapids Dam | Coon Rapids, MN - Official Website". www.coonrapidsmn.gov. City of Coon Rapids. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  4. ^ "How the Dam Works Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
  5. ^ "Lock Petition Presented". Minneapolis Morning Tribune. November 15, 1913. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Trontz, Ian (Aug 27, 1992). "Coon Rapids dam poses dilemma". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  7. ^ Randels Gillund, Leslie (17 March 2023). "Coon Rapids — A Fine City by a Dam Site". Anoka County Historical Society. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Writer, NS Energy Staff (1 January 2002). "Coon Rapids gate replacement complete". NS Energy.
  9. ^ Three Rivers Park District (February 28, 2011). "Coon Rapids Regional Dam Commission Report.pdf". Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  10. ^ Blake, Laurie; Tribune, Star (July 23, 2011). "Coon Rapids dam's future is secure, but parkland dispute isn't over". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  11. ^ Blake, Laurie; Tribune, Star (April 30, 2011). "Coon Rapids dam has Three Rivers, Anoka County carping over park lease". Star Tribune.
  12. ^ "Mississippi Gateway Regional Park Master Plan Development | Three Rivers Park District". www.threeriversparks.org. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  13. ^ Brunswick, Mark (March 3, 1995). "Dam project raises protest". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  14. ^ a b Brunswick, Mark (August 11, 200). "Tear in gate at Coon Rapids dam may lower water levels". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  15. ^ Brunswick, Mark. "Repairs planned for Coon Rapids Dam". Star Tribune. No. October 14, 1997. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  16. ^ Adams, Jim; Tribune, Star. "Crews to resume work on Coon Rapids Dam". Star Tribune.
  17. ^ Adams, Jim; Tribune, Star. "New gates installed at Coon Rapids Dam to stop Asian carp". Star Tribune.
  18. ^ a b DeBow, Matt (16 July 2022). "Lawmakers discuss hydroelectricity at Coon Rapids Dam". hometownsource.com. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  19. ^ Adams, Jim (October 7, 2009). "Park district wants help for hydroelectric plant in Coon Rapids". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Mississippi Gateway Regional Park | Three Rivers Park District". www.threeriversparks.org.
  21. ^ "COON RAPIDS DAM REGIONAL PARK". Anoka County Parks.
  22. ^ "Unnamed (02065400) | LakeFinder". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
  23. ^ "Cenaiko Lake". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  24. ^ Schranck, Bob (August 6, 1989). "Trout waters run deep and clear". Newspapers.com. Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Nick Cenaiko Sr., former Anoka County commissioner and trade show creator, dies at 79". Twin Cities. 14 December 2011.
  26. ^ Prather, Shannon (November 17, 2015). "Three Rivers looks at renaming its Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2024.

External links[edit]

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