According to a May 12 e-newsletter, Voyageurs National Park Association (VNPA) will lead seven other Minnesota and Ontario organizations in formal opposition to a dam proposed at High Falls on the Namakan River (pictured at left). The organizations, which represent over 6,800 members, are sending letters to Canadian and U.S. officials to request International Joint Commission oversight of the proposed Ojibway Power and Energy Group project.
VNPA, whose mission is to protect and promote the natural, recreational and historical resources of Voyageurs National Park, is concerned that the dam will affect the region’s natural ecological systems and its wilderness character.
According to their update, “New research indicates the project will also likely affect the migration and spawning cycles of the lake sturgeon population (a Species of Special Concern in Ontario and Minnesota) on the Namakan River and Namakan Lake.”
You can access a full article on the potential impacts of the proposed dam and VNPA’s concerns on page 2 of the Spring 2009 VNPA newsletter, available in Pdf format, HERE.
Wilderness News originally covered the Namakan Dam project in the Spring 2008 issue, available HERE.