Minnesota Power: Local Dams Handling Rising St. Louis River As Built To Do

CARLTON, Minn. — Minnesota Power has activated its emergency action plans at four of its hydro facilities along the St. Louis River, like the Thomson Dam in Carlton.

The emergency action plans are enforced to put the public and emergency management agencies on high alert of the higher-than-normal flows.

They’ve developed plans of action to identify which neighborhoods are most at risk of flooding.

Meanwhile, while the water flow is strong, staff say the dams along the river are performing how they should as the system is built to handle such flows.

“There are zero concerns with the dams right now as far as failing. But they are very resilient and we are not even at a level to increase our worries of the dams,” said Kyle Maher, Minnesota Power’s Dam Safety Engineer.

Minnesota Power is in conversation with the National Weather Service, DNR, city and emergency management agencies and are actively managing the systems to pass the high water.