St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock And Dam

St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock And Dam is a concrete dam located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, built in 1963. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.

About St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock And Dam

The primary purpose of St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock And Dam is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by Usace - St. Paul District; Xcel Energy (federal). It impounds the Mississippi River near Minneapolis.

The dam stands 93 feet tall and stretches 1,900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 35 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 4,900 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 19,680 square miles. Completed in 1963, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/06/2020.

At 93 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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Significant HazardNot Available ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateMinnesota
CountyHennepin
Nearest CityMinneapolis
River/StreamMississippi River
Coordinates44.98144, -93.25764

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeConcrete
NID Height93 ft
Dam Height83 ft
Dam Length1,900 ft
Year Completed1963 (63 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage4,900 acre-ft
Max Storage4,900 acre-ft
Normal Storage3,150 acre-ft
Surface Area35 acres
Drainage Area19,680 sq mi
Max Discharge91,000 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeNavigation
OwnerUSACE - St. Paul District; Xcel Energy
Owner TypeFederal
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentNot Available
Last Inspection10/06/2020
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDMN00590
Federal IDMN00590
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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