Kinnickinnic River Update

TCTU President Bob Luck recently sent out the following note to donors who have contributed to Free the Kinni
There have been some important recent developments in our effort to Free the Kinni that I would like to share with you.  To date, TCTU and KIAP-TU-WISH members have donated $26,000 against a goal of $30,000.   Total donor commitments as of now exceed $280,000. Thank you!
​Recently, the City of River Falls (CRF) received an offer from the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to take over the removal of both the Powell Dam and the (upper) Junction Falls Dam, and to conduct a full ecological restoration of the river in the area affected by the dams.  

The original plan was to conduct the following work in the winter and early spring of 2022/23:

• Remove Powell dam
• Move back the accumulated silt from the riverbanks to reduce siltation risk in the lower river and allow it to connect with the floodplain
• Restore the river and riparian area to a Class I trout stream
• Monitor the thermal profile and other conditions pre and post dam removal 

There are a few other steps involved, but this is the basic outline.  We estimated the cost of the project at $3.3M (million).  $2.3M would be public funds, and the remaining $1.0M would be raised from donors like you who cherish the Kinni.  
 Involvement by ACOE would have the following benefits:

• ACOE are professionals at dam removal and river restoration.  They would do it right.
• ACOE would fund 65% of the project, up to a limit of $10M. The total project cost estimate is roughly $10 to 18M (Junction Falls will be more expensive than Powell) 
• The total restoration would likely be completed much sooner.  There is currently no plan or funding for Junction Falls, other than a CRF resolution to remove the dam by 2040.  With ACOE involvement, it is likely that the entire project would be completed by 2030.  

There are a few risks:

• Although funding is currently available due to the Infrastructure Act, the political environment could change, and funding could be cancelled or delayed.
• The ACOE could change its priorities. Right now, this project has strong support from the ACOE.  They have reviewed the various studies conducted thus far, and believe the project is low-risk and high-reward from an engineering and environmental standpoint.  Likewise, they are impressed by the grass roots support they have seen, and are enthusiastic about working on a project that has such strong backing from the community. BUT…if there is a war or other major event in the world, the ACOE may be needed elsewhere.

On balance, we and our partners at Kinni Corridor Collaborative (KinniCC) feel that ACOE involvement would be highly positive for the restoration of the Kinni, and we plan to encourage CRF to accept their help.  IF ACOE does get involved, its first step would be to conduct a feasibility study of the entire project area. Previous studies can be used in the process, but ACOE will need to need to conduct additional work, especially for the Junction Falls section.  ACOE estimates the cost of the study at $800,000 max. ACOE will pay for the first $100K of the cost and 50% thereafter.  CRF would be responsible for the other 50%.  ACOE expects the study to be completed in 2024, after which it would offer a scope of work and cost share contract to CRF.  If CRF accepts this offer and the cost share, ACOE would commence work, most likely in 2025.
The CRF City Council will be meeting in late September or October to discuss and vote on ACOE’s proposal.  I plan to attend the meeting, together with other leaders from TU and KinniCC. We will share more information with you on the dates, and how you can attend via Zoom or in person.  
CRF recently asked KinniCC if it would consider providing financial support for the feasibility study.  Although our fundraising objective was targeted at hands-on work in the Powell corridor, we may agree to provide some support for the study if it allows us to have a stronger voice in the Kinni restoration process.  
The restoration project has some similarities to the Kinni—it has plenty of twists and turns, along with some surprises!  Overall, I am positive about this development for the future of the Kinni, and I appreciate your support.  If you do have questions or thoughts, please feel free to reach out to me.