- City:
- Itasca, MN
- Site Type:
- Infrastructure and Utilities, Dams
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Description
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 that the state park carried out restoration work in late 2020.
Source notes
Barbara W. Sommer, Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 2008. Pgs. 104-105.
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