Pickwick Mill dam
Pickwick Mill
Pickwick Mill, located in Pickwick, Minnesota, along the Big Trout Creek, is an historic gravity dam completed in 1854 for flood risk reduction. With a height of 33 feet and a length of 231 feet, this structure serves a critical purpose in protecting the surrounding area from potential flooding events. Despite its age, the dam has a storage capacity of 124 acre-feet and can handle a maximum discharge of 2820 cubic feet per second.
However, recent assessments have indicated that the condition of Pickwick Mill is poor, with a significant hazard potential. The last inspection in 2018 revealed the need for maintenance and potential upgrades to ensure the dam's continued effectiveness in flood risk reduction. With its state-regulated status, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is responsible for permitting, inspecting, and enforcing regulations related to the dam's operation.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Pickwick Mill serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining and investing in infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events. As climate change continues to pose challenges to water management, ensuring the safety and functionality of dams like Pickwick Mill is essential in protecting communities and ecosystems from the growing threats of flooding.
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 Pickwick Mill -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River At Winona | 38,900 cfs | → |
| Trempealeau River At Dodge | 593 cfs | → |
| Black River Near Galesville | 1,290 cfs | → |
| Root River Near Houston | 829 cfs | → |
| La Crosse River Near La Crosse | 425 cfs | → |
| South Fork Root River Near Houston | 182 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Pickwick Mill.
Boat launches
- Trempealeau River -- Perrot State Park
- Mississippi River -- Trempealeau Landing
- Long Lake -- Landing
- Mississippi River -- Round Lake -- Access
- Great River Road Town Of Trempealeau
- Winona
Campgrounds
- Pla-Mor Campground
- Perrot State Park
- Perrot State Park Campground
- Group Tent Campsite
- Great River Bluffs State Park
- Cart In Sites
Fishing spots
- Franklin St. Fishing Pier
- Huff Street Fishing Pier
- Dacota Street Fishing Pier
- New Albin Big Lake
- Pine Creek
- French Creek
Track Pickwick Mill 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 Pickwick Mill
Where does the data for Pickwick Mill 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 Pickwick Mill.