Rebuilding the Kashwakamak dam to mitigate the risk of its failure and associated flooding will safeguard Kashwakamak Lake and surrounding lands. This work is supported by a joint investment of nearly $6 million from the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and the federal government's Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.
The Mississippi River watershed is a 3,750-square kilometer area that is home to around 50,000 people. As well as supplying fresh drinking water, it supports fish and wildlife, alongside recreation and tourism, agriculture, and hydroelectric power.
The new dam on Kashwakamak Lake in the Mississippi River watershed will replace the original, built in 1910. The dam will protect the land from floods and droughts, and reduce the economic losses and disruptions to the community that these events bring. This project is especially timely now that the Mississippi River watershed experiences more frequent and severe extreme weather events due to the impacts of climate change.
Every dollar that is invested in supporting communities to adapt and prepare for climate-related disasters can return as much as $13 to $15 in benefits. Making adaptation investments now will have major economy-wide benefits later.
