Rapidan Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rapidan Dam |
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Blue Earth River below Rapidan Dam
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 Location of Rapidan Dam in USA Minnesota
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Blue Earth County, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 44°05′34″N 94°06′31″W / 44.092727°N 94.108662°W |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Imminent Failure Condition |
| Construction began | 1908 |
| Opening date | 1910 |
| Owner(s) | Blue Earth County Government |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete Gravity |
| Impounds | Blue Earth River |
| Height | 87 ft (27 m) |
| Length | 475 ft (145 m) |
| Spillways | 5 steel Tainter gates and 2 timber gates |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Rapidan Lake |
| Catchment area | 2,430 sq mi (6,300 km2) |
| Surface area | 318 acres (129 ha) |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | 2 |
| Installed capacity | 6 MW (not currently operating) |
The Rapidan Dam is a large concrete wall built across the Blue Earth River in Minnesota, United States. It's located near the town of Rapidan. This dam was built to create electricity using the river's power. It operated from 1908 until 1966.
Today, Blue Earth County owns the dam and the reservoir (the lake behind the dam) called Rapidan Lake. The dam's power plant stopped working after floods damaged it in 2019 and 2020. The dam is currently in a very serious condition.
You can also visit the Rapidan Dam Park & Campground on one side of the dam. It's a great place for camping, hiking, and enjoying the river.
Building the Rapidan Dam
The Rapidan Dam was finished in 1910. It was built to make electricity for a company called Northern States Power. But in 1965, a big flood damaged the dam.
In 1970, Blue Earth County took over the dam. They have been in charge of it ever since. In 2002, engineers found that the dam's base needed urgent fixes. They had to fill a large empty space with concrete to stop the dam from breaking. This repair cost over a million dollars.
Future of the Dam
Plans for the Dam
In 2021, the county started looking into what to do about the dam. They hired experts to study two main choices: either fix the dam or remove it completely. From April to June 2022, the county asked people in the community what they thought about these options.
Recent Dam Issues
On June 24, 2024, heavy rains caused the Blue Earth River to flood. The powerful water cut through the sides of the dam. Because of this, officials said the dam was in an "imminent failure condition," meaning it could break apart very soon.
The flooding caused problems downstream. It washed away an electricity station, leaving about 600 homes without power. It also destroyed a shed and badly damaged a house. People living nearby were told to leave their homes for safety.
Experts have looked at what might happen if the dam fully breaks. They said that the campground would need to be cleared first. The biggest concern is for the environment. A lot of sediment (like mud and sand) has built up in the lake behind the dam. If the dam breaks, all that sediment would wash down the river, which could harm the river's ecosystem.
See also
