Also called the Ford Dam, this is this only twin lock structure in the Saint Paul District of the US Army Corps of Engineers 9 foot navigation channel project. Each lock is 56 feet wide by 400 feet long. The hydro power station is owned by the Ford Motor Company, built to supply power to the nearby Ford Motor Assembly plant.

The history of the Ford Dam is the result of a 50 year struggle between Minneapolis and Saint Paul to exploit hydro power and navigation rights on the great river. The original project was for two low-water dams. Lock & Dam #2 was to be built just north of Lake Street, and Lock & Dam #1 was to be built just south of Ford Parkway. Lock & Dam #2 was started around 1897, and finished in 1907. It featured a single small steamship-sized lock. Locals now call this Meeker Island Lock & Dam since it was built at the site of the former Meeker Island. Lock & Dam #1 was started about 1912. Just as the low water dam and locks were finished, the US Government stepped in and declared that the Lock & Dam #1 would become a high-water power dam. The result is that Lock & Dam #2, which has been in operation only 5 years, was closed and demolished. The downriver dam was rebuilt, and a power house was installed. While the logic of having one high water dam with a single set of locks makes great sense, it is too bad that all the work was invested in building and later demolishing the Meeker Island Lock & Dam.

The locks at this dam were closed from August 1, 2007 to October 5, 2007, following the collapse of the I-35W bridge. The river was closed above this lock & dam during the recovery and bridge clean-up operations.

Update—On May 28, 2009, the US Army Corps of Engineers issued a warning that the Ford Dam was potentially unsafe. They are concerned that water might be seeping under the dam, putting it at risk of failure. If the dam would fail, it would put a halt to navigation above Saint Paul, and flood areas of the river below the structure. The Corps plan to perform a detailed inspection of the dam to determine the extent of the problem.

The photo above is a view from the scenic overlook on the East River Parkway. During much of the year, the dam remains dry, and the river current passes through the power house. A small gate next to the power house maintains the pool level behind the dam just below the level of the top of the main dam structure. The photo below is the official project sign at the entrance to the lock & dam from the West River Parkway. The entrance road is a bit hard to find since it is at the back of a small parking lot to the north of the Intercity Bridge, while the lock & dam is south of the bridge.

The photo above is a view of the locks from the overlook on the east side of the river. The photo below is the power house as seen from the visitors center on the west side of the river.

The photo above is a view of the locks from river level just upriver of the lock & dam structure. The photo below is a view of the dam and power house taken from the same location on the west side of the river. The water is about 40 feet deep at this location.

The photo above is a close view of one of the locks just after the upstream door has opened. These boats are headed up river, and have just been lifted 38 feet. The photo below is a close view of the Ford Motor Company sign on the east side of the river. The Ford assembly plant is the reason that the dam was built some 90 years ago. The Ford plant builds Ford Ranger light pickup trucks as this was written in 2008. The plant is slated to close down at some point in the near future, and the land will be redeveloped.

The photo above is a view of the lock structure as seen from the Intercity Bridge. The access road and visitor observation area is on the right side of the photo. The Minnehaha Creek flows into the Mississippi River just below the lock structure, and just below the Minnesota Veterans Home. The photo below is a view of the power house from the same location. Note the small gate on the right side of the power house.

The photo above is an overview of the lock & dam project as seen from the Intercity Bridge. The photo below is a view of the dam and power house as seen from Minnehaha Park, which is on top of the bluff on the west side of the river.

These two photos are views of Lock & Dam #1 as seen from the west bank of the Mississippi River just downstream of the structure. The photo above is looking to the north towards the two parallel locks. The right lock has its downstream doors open, allowing the upstream doors to be visible. The photo below is a view of the dam spillway.

These two photos are views of Lock & Dam #1 as seen from the west bank of the Mississippi River just downstream of the structure. The photo above is the hydroelectric power plant. The photo below is an overview of the lock and dam with the mouth of the Minnehaha Creek in the foreground and the Intercity Bridge in the background.