By Eric Roper | October 11, 2019 (photo by Glenn Stubb, Star Tribune) Early funding is falling into place for an ambitious plan to remake the lock and dam beside the Stone Arch Bridge into a public riverfront attraction celebrating Minneapolis’ birthplace. A nonprofit group, Friends of the Lock & Dam, says it is on … Read More

Via an October 10 News Release: Mark Andrew, former Hennepin County Commissioner and chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, has been named president of Friends of the Lock & Dam (FL&D). The nonprofit’s mission is to create a destination visitor and interpretive center at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock, called The Falls Initiative, at … Read More

September 15, 2019 Friends of the Lock & Dam was proud to sponsor the City of Minneapolis canoe in Wilderness Inquiry’s 2019 Great River Race, the Race to Close the Achievement Gap! Learn more about this amazing annual event here. Mayor Frey led a team of Minneapolis staff in a strong showing, paddling for the … Read More

By Janet Moore, Star Tribune. The Mississippi River’s blue-brown water lapped against the hull of Cory Parkos’ solar-powered leisure boat as he steered it away from Boom Island Park in Minneapolis toward the wide expanse of the mighty river. Parkos, captain of the Minneapolis Water Taxi service, stared thoughtfully toward shore. “Why isn’t there more activity … Read More

Minneapolis, Minn. – The Minneapolis Parks Foundation and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board celebrated a milestone today when they commemorated groundbreaking on the expansion of Mill Ruins Park known widely by its project name, Water Works. The occasion was marked by a “golden shovel” ceremony featuring Minneapolis Park Board Superintendent Al Bangoura and Commissioner Jono Cowgill; the Parks Foundation’s Tom Evers, … Read More

An expedited disposition study looking solely at the Upper Lock at St. Anthony Falls has been kicked off by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District. The original disposition study, which was focused the Upper Lock as well as the Lower Lock and Lock 1, was paused when Congress enacted new direction to … Read More

HIDDEN FALLS REGIONAL PARK –by Kjersti Monson What a beautiful day for a paddle! I was excited to represent FL&D in the crowd of Great River Racers who swelled the banks of the Mississippi at Hidden Falls Regional Park yesterday. The McKnight Foundation, Wilderness Inquiry, the National Park Service, and others hosted the Great River … Read More

Here’s an excerpt! National Park Service rangers still take visitors on tours of the lock and dam, as it is part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. But now there is a grand vision to transform the site, along with the historic stone arch bridge just downstream, into a major recreation area. John … Read More

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — By Eric Roper, Star Tribune. August 16, 2018 State regulators dealt a major blow Thursday to a controversial proposal to generate hydroelectric power beside the Stone Arch Bridge, possibly derailing a project in the works for more than two decades. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted to yank the remaining $3.5 million from a renewable energy … Read More

MINNEAPOLIS — By Irene Jones, Friends of the Mississippi River. August 15, 2018 While mid-summer meetings aren’t typically known for great attendance, a series of mid-July meetings drew crowds of metro-area residents and other stakeholders to discuss the future of underused locks and dams in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The purpose of the meetings was … Read More