Coon Rapids dam
Coon Rapids
Coon Rapids, located in Anoka County, Minnesota, is home to the Coon Rapids Dam, a gravity dam built in 1913 across the Mississippi River. Managed by the local government, this dam primarily serves as a recreational area, providing a surface area of 160 acres for outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, and hiking. With a 30-foot height and a length of 2,008 feet, the dam also plays a vital role in flood control, with a drainage area of 19,219 acres and a maximum discharge capacity of 130,000 cubic feet per second.
Despite its age, the Coon Rapids Dam is in satisfactory condition, as assessed in 2015, with a significant hazard potential due to its location along the Mississippi River. Regular inspections are conducted every four years to ensure its structural integrity and safety. The dam's normal storage capacity is 1,380 acre-feet, with a maximum storage of 2,000 acre-feet, providing essential water resource management for the surrounding area. With its picturesque setting and recreational opportunities, Coon Rapids Dam continues to be a popular destination for water resource and climate enthusiasts in Minnesota.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Coon Rapids -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River Near Anoka | 8,920 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River At Anoka | 7,700 cfs | → |
| Elm Creek Nr Champlin | 21 cfs | → |
| Shingle Creek At Queen Ave In Minneapolis | 6 cfs | → |
| Rum River Near St. Francis | 545 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River At St. Paul | 15,400 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Coon Rapids.
Boat launches
- Coon Rapids Dam Reg. Park
- Brooklyn Park
- Mississippi Point Park
- Bunker Lake Boulevard Northwest Andover
- Riverfront Reg. Park Launch
- Round Lake Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Bunker Hills Regional Park
- Bunker Hills Campground
- Rice Creek Chain Of Lakes Regional Park
- Halfmoon Group Camps
- Baker Park Reserve
- Baker Park Reserve Campground
Paddle runs
- The Confluence Of The Clearwater River To The Northwestern Corporate Boundary Of Anoka
- The Beaver Islands At St. Cloud To The Confluence Of The Clearwater River
More reservoirs
Track Coon Rapids in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Coon Rapids
Where does the data for Coon Rapids come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Significant hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Coon Rapids.