The Kinnickinnic will be changing

After years of discussions and study, the River Falls City Council has reached a decision regarding the issue of relicensing the city’s two hydroelectric dams.

At its regular Tuesday, Feb. 27 meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution, after approving several amendments, that endorses a long-term vision of a free-flowing Kinnickinnic River, but also approves the relicensing of the hydroelectric project for the final time. The resolution includes plans for removing first the Powell Falls and then Junction Falls dams.

Free the Kinni

what kind of time frame did did they discuss?

Any opinions long term if this will change the fishing on the Kinni? For good or bad?

• The city will remove the Powell Falls dam and hydroelectric facilities, and complete associated stream restoration by the target date of 2026. The city will also document this process and evaluate it as the Junction Falls removal process is planned.

• The city will remove the Junction Falls dam and hydro facilities, and complete associated stream restoration by the target date of 2035-2040. If the need for dam removal becomes more immediate due to ecological reasons, it can be removed sooner.

phoyem wrote:

Any opinions long term if this will change the fishing on the Kinni? For good or bad?

I’m not sure, if your asking me.

It really depends on who you’re talking to and if a person can believe them.

By taking out the dams, it will lower the temp by a degree or 2.
They also claim it won’t change the flow of the river…I just can’t get my head around that.

It also will open up the river to invasives that could travel up stream from the St Croix. (not asian carp I wouldn’t think)

phoyem wrote:

Any opinions long term if this will change the fishing on the Kinni? For good or bad?

The long-term fishing outlook for the Kinni is probably not good IMO. As most will be aware, the Kinni suffered a huge fish die-off in the lower river 2-3 years ago. The most plausible explanation for this was the massive summer floods we experienced for two successive summers. The runoff from large, frequent large rain events dumped massive amounts of heated water into the river and raised the temp of the lower river by 10 or more degrees for weeks on end during those summers.

My concern is the impact removal will have on the consistency of water temps in the lower river (downstream of the present dam). The current dam discharges (most) downstream water from the bottom of the impoundment where the water is coolest. I’m sure it’s been well studied, but my hope is that the consistency of the water temps will be maintained or even possibly lowered by natural flow from the more spring fed upstream portions of the two forks.

The biggest threat to the Kinni is climate and environmental change, pure and simple.

Grouse

Brian Klawitter wrote:

They also claim it won’t change the flow of the river…I just can’t get my head around that.

I believe they will allow excess water out of the impoundments as conditions warrant but think of it this way:
If the flow out of the impoundment didn’t equal the flow into the impoundment you would either keep draining the impoundment or it would keep flooding.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The biggest threat to the Kinni is climate and environmental change, pure and simple.

I’m inclined to believe the single biggest factor in the cold water stream fisheries is ground water. I’m wondering if the Kinni experienced some similar conditions to what was seen at White Bear Lake. Expanding ground water use combined with drought conditions. Western Wi has definitely seen expanding development. Obviously, the high water run off events isn’t going to help the matter especially when the urban runoff component is increasing contributing to temperature spikes.

Since 2014 it seems the brook trout have suffered more so than brown trout in the area. Time will tell if that’s just a short term set back or a long term trend.

I’ve been fishing and enjoying the Kinni since I was about 10. Never knew there were dams on it. Never been that far east obviously. Learn something new everyday.

They also claim it won’t change the flow of the river…I just can’t get my head around that.

I’m thinking if it’s the same amount of Input flow as output flow there shouldn’t be much change once the water levels level off.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

My concern is the impact removal will have on the consistency of water temps in the lower river (downstream of the present dam). The current dam discharges (most) downstream water from the bottom of the impoundment where the water is coolest. I’m sure it’s been well studied, but my hope is that the consistency of the water temps will be maintained or even possibly lowered by natural flow from the more spring fed upstream portions of the two forks.

Grouse

The reservoirs are slow and shallow, and warm up to around 80* in the summer, not like the deep reservoirs out west that create tailwater fisheries. This warms the water downstream an average of 5 degrees in the summer compared to the Upper Kinni. If anything, dam removal would make stream temps more consistent — cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter.

I’m most worried about all the sediment that’s currently in the lakes that could be washed out, potentially filling in holes and covering up rocks and gravel downstream.