Environmental News

Go with the flow: Minnesota towns see success replacing aging dams with rock rapids

Rock rapids are shown in Pine River.
In Pine River, a 2022 project involving the city and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources replaced an aging dam with rock arch rapids, a series of boulders that stretch across the water in descending rows for several hundred feet. It's one of around 75 locations in Minnesota where dams were replaced with rock rapids, also known as riffles.
Kirsti Marohn | MPR News

Quick Read

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been helping some communities replace old or outdated dams with a series of boulders that benefit fish and wildlife and pose less of a safety risk.