Chris Johnson wrote:
First, this area is riddled with ruins of mills and underground tunnels and caves. The geology is limestone and sandstone, neither of which is particular strong rock. Historically, this area has had 2 major cave-ins, one of which nearly destroyed the falls, during construction projects. What is the degree of risk involved in excavating the gatehouse intake area, the generator "pit" and the tail race connections? What might they run into? What accident might happen?
WM: The caprock which creates the falls goes only 1100 feet back from the falls since the disaster caused when Eastman tried to add yet another underground tunnel from the end of Nicollet Island. That disaster cost the feds quite a bit of money, since the falls would have devolved to rapids had they not stopped the damage. (There is a painting of the disaster at the MPL central library.) There are already more tunnels under the area than a rabbit's warren and any messing with the structure could result in an even bigger disaster. The group using the falls at the time for hydro power (Pillsbury, Washburn, Crosby, Bassett, Franklin Steele, Eastman, et.al.) had all tunneled under the river to take advantage of the power of the falls. Those tunnels still exist. You can most easily see the Pillsbury A Mill tunnel by going down to Hennepin Island and seeing the huge steel doors closing the tunnel against homeless people who tended to sleep on the catwalks in the tunnels.)
If St. Anthony Falls were to be reduced to St. Anthony rapids any possibility of hydro energy, new or old, would cease to exist.
Interestingly enough, the above cited worthies managed to make the federal government--Corps of Engineers--pay for restoring the falls and halting the breakup of the falls.
I'd say it's a very big risk for very little power.
WizardMarks, Central
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