RIVER FALLS – The River Falls City Council unanimously approved a resolution Nov. 9 authorizing a feasibility cost sharing agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), who will study the feasibility and impact of removing one or both dams from the Kinnickinnic River as part of the Continuing Authorities Program.

In 2018, the city council passed the Kinni Corridor Plan and the Kinni Corridor Collaborative resolution, which directed the city to pursue a free-flowing Kinnickinnic River. It recommended relicensing Junction Falls dam one more time and provided target timelines for both dams to be removed: Powell Falls by 2016 and Junction Falls in 2035-2040.

The city council adopted the Kinni Corridor Plan in January 2019 and signed a memorandum of understanding in August 2019 with the Kinni Corridor Collaborative (KCC), designating KCC as the city’s private fundraising partner for a free-flowing Kinni.

In June 2020, up to 8 inches of rain fell over parts of the Kinnickinnic watershed over a span of two days, causing severe flooding which damaged the Powell Falls dam, breaking off a section of wing wall. On July 16, 2020, River Falls Municipal Utilities (RFMU) submitted a report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to report the flood and dam damage. The FERC requested a dam safety inspection and replacement of gages, and along with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), allowed the city to draw down Lake Louise.

After a joint city council and Utility Advisory Board meeting on Jan. 19, 2021, an option was chosen to keep Lake Louise drawn down, fix the gate, pull the turbine and start sediment removal downstream of the dam in 2021. The plan was also to surrender the FERC license for Powell Falls dam in 2022 and apply under DNR jurisdiction to remove the dam. Site restoration was slated to be complete in 2026. The city council approved the resolution in March 2021.

On Feb. 24, 2022, FERC released its federal authority over Powell Falls dam, which put it under the umbrella of the DNR. On May 16, 2022, the city received a $1 million DNR grant for the Powell Falls dam removal and light river restoration.

Back up to August 2018, when USACE approached the city about possibly being involved in the dam removal. RFMU formally requested assistance from the Planning Assistance to States (PAS) program on July 25, 2019, which was approved in December of that year. At that time, RFMU entered into a formal agreement with USACE, who agreed to pay up to $210,000 for study implementation. The study was conducted in 2020 and in November 2021, USACE informed the city it had been awarded federal funding for a potential project. If the city had interest, it needed to request a Federal Interest Determination (FID), which the city did in January 2022 to determine if USACE could be part of the project.

In March 2022, the FID was approved and USACE and city staff began discussing a potential Continuing Authorities Program (CAP) project.

According to a city memo, “The USACE CAP program is part of Section 206 of the Water Resources Act of 1996, as amended. It provides restoration of degraded aquatic ecosystem structure, function and dynamic processes to a less degraded, more natural condition. The FID provides that there is a Federal Interest in addressing the degraded ecosystem along the Kinnickinnic River in River Falls. The Federal Interest Determination defines the Problem as the two dams on the Kinnickinnic River that present a unique opportunity to restore the river to its natural setting.”

The FID also laid out alternatives: No action: USACE would have no involvement in the design and implementation of a project to restore the Kinni’s ecosystem. No federal dollars would be spent on restoration.

Remove Powell Falls dam and stream restoration: This would restore the stream between Powell Falls and Junction Falls dams and 15 acres of habitat.

Remove both dams, stream restoration between the two and within Lake George, including 31 acres of habitat. This would also involve removing the original Junction Falls dam, Winter Street Bridge pier and abutments, modifications to the Veterans Bridge piers at Maple Street and stormwater system modification.

Remove both dams, stream restoration and stormwater mitigation (identified after the FID).

A feasibility study is the first stage for a possible federal water resources development project, which would identify, evaluate and recommend a solution. For each option, USACE will provide a cost estimate and evaluate national and regional economic and social benefits. The study should be complete in 18-24 months and at that time, the city will decide whether to move forward with a project into design and construction or stop working with USACE altogether.

During the study, USACE will provide public input opportunities and maintain a public study website, the city memo states. The study will determine if federal funding is justified and the scope of the project.

Alderperson Alyssa Mueller questioned whether USACE will truly consider any other alternatives besides removing both dams.

“In their pre-feasibility feasibility study, the USACE identified three options and staff asked them to consider a fourth (above),” said City Administrator Scot Simpson. “There will likely be some public process involved in the feasibility scope, so it’s not determined completely yet.”

Simpson said USACE could include other options they think will garner federal interest in the project.

“They have been up front with us from staff’s perspective that the most likely scenario in order to obtain federal interest in a project is the removal of both of the dams,” Simpson said.

At least one meeting with public comment will be held; people can also submit comments to Simpson, Community Development Director Amy Peterson, Mayor Dan Toland or alderpersons.

“There will be a couple of opportunities for the council to call a timeout and say they don’t want to proceed any further,” Simpson said. “The completion of a feasibility study doesn’t automatically trigger a project.”

The city council will have the opportunity to review the feasibility study, and USACE will tell the city its willingness to participate and their support before a council vote.

“If we don’t think the feasibility study is going well, we have 30 days notice to put a stop to it,” Simpson said.

“During the feasibility study, are we going to be able to truly understand the effect of taking the hydros out, if that’s the plan that goes through?” Mueller asked. “Will we have a clear understanding of how much more rate payers would pay for electricity in the city so that we can have that data in front of us when making a decision?”

Simpson said the feasibility study will provide a depth and breadth of information that the city may not have related to those questions.

Alderperson Nick Carow expressed his support for moving forward with the study.

“I think this feels like the final leg of the beginning of the end … This has been a hard process for a lot of people,” he said. “I think there’s been a lot of passion that the dams clearly elicit and there’s passion on Lake George and we want to acknowledge that, or at least I do. This study will give us good data that will be beneficial.”

USACE Will provide just over 50% of federal funds for the study, while local match is responsible for the rest. USACE will pay the first $100,000 and the remainder is a 50/50 cost share; the estimated cost for the study is $750,000 but could be less thanks to studies previously conducted by the city.

Based on this estimate, the city’s share is $325,000 of which KCC will pay up to $175,000. The city’s share ($162,500) will be paid from electric utility funds. KCC provided $50,000 toward the study cost on Nov. 9.

The CAP program funds at a 65% federal 35% local share up to $10 million in federal funds. Rough estimates today put the full project (both dams out, restoration and stormwater mitigation) upwards of $15 million.

Public comment

During public comment time, Steve Goff of KCC urged the council to partner with USACE on the study, as did former alderperson Hal Watson. “I believe the study and the alternatives that it will examine are consistent with the final recommendations of the 11-person Kinni Corridor Project Committee, which was led by Mayor Toland, as well as the Kinni Corridor Plan, which had significant engagement from a large number of city residents,” Watson said.

William Hansen from Hope for Creation spoke against the dams’ removal.

“Climate change issues which are directly impacted by city council decisions include water conservation and renewable energy supply,” Hansen said. “Retaining and improving Lake George and the Junction Falls hydro can have a positive impact on both these critical issues. According to Hansen, the Junction Falls hydro produces more than 1.5 million kilowatt hours per year of renewable energy.

“At a conversion rate of 1 pound of coal per kilowatt of electricity, hydro production results in us not burning 1.5 million pounds of coal per year,” Hansen said. “You should consider this as you move forward.

“Junction Falls hydro is by far the city’s largest local source of renewable energy. The Junction Falls hydro produces four times more electric output of the River Falls Solar Garden. The hydro is here now and already pays its way.”

Plan Commission and Parks Board member Patricia LaRue said the DNR supervisor of fisheries for Pierce and St. Croix counties confirmed to her for a third time that the Kinni as it flows through Lake George is considered a Class 1 trout stream.

“From the north to the south there is no disruption in that classification,” LaRue said. “At the time the hydros were starting their relicensing, the DNR did a huge study of the entire Wisconsin Driftless area. When it came to the Kinni, the DNR recognized our two reservoirs warmed the lake water, but twice concluded not to the detriment of the trout.

“In the 1930s the Kinni relied on the Isaac Walton Foundation to stock the river with trout. With our two dams and two lakes in place, the Kinni has gone from a stocked trout stream to a Class 1. I call that a success story.”

Removing Junction Falls Dam would require the utilities to incur the cost of massive sediment removal, bridge and infrastructure modifications, more studies regarding the downstream effects of a second dam removal, not to mention the cost of removing Junction Falls dam itself, LaRue continued. She also questioned the effect of erosion along the riverbanks.

“Junction Falls dam slows the river down. If the dam is removed, downtown businesses located on the river will bear the costs and consequences of a free-flowing Kinni … ” she said. “I heard that this matter was decided in 2018. In 1990 the council committed $2.5 million in today’s money to a dam reconstruction.”

That investment was meant to serve the city for as much as 75 years, LaRue said.

Powell Falls dam, which was heavily damaged in the June 2020 flood, is located below Glen Park in River Falls. Photo courtesy of Kinni Corridor Collaborative