Harnessing the Headwaters – First Dams On The Mississippi

This documentary explores dams that are a prominent feature of many of the waterways in our region. Viewers will learn about the history of their creation and the ecological, economic, and cultural impact they have had on individuals and communities within the area. Water binds us all together; it is the universal solvent, and water is one of the few factors in common for ALL LIFE on our planet. Here in North Central Minnesota the Mississippi River is a twisting, turning thread that ties us NOT ONLY to our geography & our environment, but our history: our past and our future.

Harnessing the Headwaters of the Mississippi with dams wrote our story as Minnesotans. The power of the great river that drove 19th century commerce of the Twin Cites fed and built a new nation. Doing so displaced Indigenous peoples and changed the landscape and lakeshore for wildlife, but with time came adaptation.

Come along with Lakeland PBS as we tour the times and tales of these First Dams on the Mississippi.