Saturday, March 30, 2019

Mississippi Lock and Dam #1 at Minneapolis, MN

(John A. Weeks III; Satellite, 44+ photos)

John A. Weeks III
The photo above is a view from the scenic overlook on the East River Parkway. During much of the year, the dam remains dry, and the river current passes through the power house. A small gate next to the power house maintains the pool level behind the dam just below the level of the top of the main dam structure.

John lives in the area, so his page has many photos of the dam from various angles and river levels. This is a small sampling of his photos and commentary.
John A. Weeks III
The dam structure has a inflatable section at the top that can be used to adjust the pool level. The inflatable section on the right side of the dam is a little lower, allowing more water to flow over that side of the dam. The concrete blocks at the base of the dam are called ‘grinders.’ They calm the flow of water at the base of the dam.
John A. Weeks III
John A. Weeks III
This photo is looking down from the pedestrian walkway towards the bottom gate on the western lock as it opens to allow boats to exit from the lock heading downstream. 

Flood of 2019:
[Fast forward to about 5:00 where he does a 360-degree pan of the GN Stone Arch Bridge.]
https://www.facebook.com/CBSMinnesota/videos/463181487555665/
Patty Reese Curtin2:29 50 plus inches of snow melted all in 2 weeks!! I feel for all the flooding south of the rivers! Lord Have Mercy, Amen
Joyce Scalze9:26 Now go over to downtown St. Paul and see what the river does there. They have closed 4 streets closest to the river that will probably be under water....

Just downstream from the lock
Jordan Palmer posted
The beautiful Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River at Minneapolis from a slightly different angle. Built by James J. Hill for his Great Northern Railroad, the bridge opened in 1883. The bridge carried two tracks and was originally all stone, note the steel span over the channel, this was built in the 1960s to allow river traffic access to the northern end of Minneapolis. In order to minimize effects on rail traffic, the stone footings were widened, and the steel super structure built around the two stone arches. Once the main frames were up, rail traffic was halted the two arches were knocked out, and cross-members and tracks installed on the steel span, rail traffic was only impacted for seven hours. Unfortunately the passenger rail continued to tumble and after 1971 only Amtrak used the bridge to access the Great Northern Depot. On March 1, 1978 the new Midway Depot closer to St. Paul opened and was the last day passenger trains regularly crossed the Stone Arch Bridge. It is now open as a walking and biking path following major rehabilitation in the 1990s. I captured these photos in September 2013 from the top of the Mill City Museum.
Boyd Walker It now needs more repair work.

August 2021:
Mary C Kennedy posted
Well, we are below 3 feet in St. Paul.
[So loaded barges are not making it up to these locks. I wonder how far northbound the tows can make it.]

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