This is a list of dams and reservoirs in the U.S. state of Minnesota and pertinent data in a sortable table. There are more than 1,250 dams in the state. Over 800 are public facilities and of these 430 are owned by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.[2]
This list includes the most notable structures, namely all that generate hydroelectricity,[3] any operated by the Mississippi Valley Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),[4] and all dams with reservoirs larger than 100,000 acre feet according to the USACE National Inventory of Dams[5] Notable structures in popular recreation areas are also included, in particular those at the headwaters of the Mississippi and along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Historically significant structures as well as dams whose removal have sparked media interest are also included. Furthermore, there are many dams that have yet to be listed that call Minnesota home.
Unless referenced differently, all information in the table above is from the USACENational Inventory of Dams (NID)[5] Specific data fields are defined as follows:[12][13]
^Official name. Common names other than the official name follow, separated by semicolons.
^County were dam is located. If structure straddles borders, additional counties separated by semicolon. County where main access is located listed first
^If multiple owners, names separated by semicolon. Hydropower companies, if separate from dam owner, are listed second.
^Year when the original main dam structure was completed. Year(s) of major modification also listed, separated by semicolon. Modification years for Mississippi River Locks and Dams comes from USACE Mississippi Valley Division, St. Paul District data.[4]
^If more than one type, listed in order of importance separated by semicolon.
^NID height is defined as the maximum value of the structural height and hydraulic height. Accepted as the general height of the dam.
^Official name of the reservoir impounded by the dam. If the installation is run-of-the-river with no geographically-defined reservoir, value is "ROR".
^NID maximum storage in acre-feet, defined as the total storage space in the reservoir below the maximum attainable water surface elevation, including any surcharge storage. Accepted as the general storage of the dam.
^Official name of the river or stream on which the dam is built. If unnamed, it is identified as a tributary to a named river by appending -tr to the name. If offstream, the name is appended with -os.
^The order indicates the relative decreasing importance of the purpose.
^Rainy Lake is controlled by 4 structures: International Falls Dam, the main hydroelectric project spanning Rainy River between International Falls, Minnesota and Fort Frances, Ontario; two more at Kettle Falls controlling water entering Rainy Lake from Namakan Lake; and Sturgeon Falls Generating Station on the Seine River, Ontario. These dams are sometimes considered as one grouping called the "Rainy Lake Control Structures", however the three sites are many miles apart.[6]
^Island Lake Dam consists of two separate NID listed structures built at the same time; Main Dam and Island Lake North Dike. The dike is a concrete/gravity/earth structure 21 ft. high and 331 ft. long. Both impound the same pool.
^Kettle Falls Dam consists of 2 structures on either side of Kettle Island, divided into the American Dam and another on the Canadian channel called International Dam. Both were constructed at the same time to control the flow of water into Rainy River from Namakan Lake.
^Pelican Lake Dam consists of a main structure and several earthen dikes in various locations to control the level of Pelican Lake, one of the larger lakes in the state.[8]
^Pokegama Dam consists of a main structure and 5 concrete/earthen dikes in 3 locations that form a system of connected lakes. All are at the same height and impound the same pool.[9]
^St. Anthony Falls has a complex history. The current lock and dam structure was built in 1963, however there have been many dams at this location since the first was built in 1847. A massive concrete apron was constructed in 1869 after a partial collapse of the falls. The existing hydroelectric station was built in 1882 on the same pool but is distinct from the existing dam. A separate hydroelectric project is under development on the opposite of the river in a decommissioned lock.[10]
^The Thomson Water Project consists of multiple dams and water control structures located in and around Thomson, Minnesota, and nearby Jay Cooke State Park. The 1600 ft long main dam is supplemented by many smaller segments, some of which have been rebuilt and merged over the years. 14 distinct structures are registered in the NID, the tallest is 51 feet.[11]
^ abcdefDam removal success stories : restoring rivers through selective removal of dams that don't make sense. Washington, D.C. Seattle, Wash. Arlington, Va: American Rivers Friends of the Earth Trout Unlimited. 1999. pp. xxii, 17–20, 65–68. ISBN0-913890-96-0.
^Diebel, Lynne (2005). Paddling Northern Minnesota: 86 Great Trips by Canoe and Kayak. Black Earth, Wisconsin: Trails Books. p. 90. ISBN9781931599511.
