• Itasca State Park: Mississippi River Headwaters Dam - Park Rapids MN
    Starting in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed a 44-foot dam, comprised of “40,000 cubic yards of fill” and “topped with stepping-stones, across the headwaters of the Mississippi River.”  It is not clear exactly when the job was completed. The dam did not create Itasca Lake but did stabilize the lake level and better define the outfall, which had previously made its way through dense riparian vegetation.  The CCC men also built the first wooden sign at the site, since replaced by a vertical sign. Over the years, foot traffic and shifting stream flow eroded the stepping stones and banks, so...