Blanchard Dam

A hydro dam on the upper Mississippi

Blanchard is one of Minnesota Power's Mississippi River hydro stations, in the same western group as the Little Falls dam. It is a working power facility — federally licensed as FERC Project No. 346 — rather than a park, and it sits on a rural stretch of river between Bellevue and Swan River townships. It is frequently called the tallest dam on the upper Mississippi, with about 47 feet of head; that claim is widely repeated locally, so treat it as reputation rather than a figure from an official source.

The old Soo Line bridge

Part of what draws people to Blanchard is not the dam itself but the former Soo Line railroad bridge just downstream, which now carries a recreational trail high above the river. The combination — a big dam and a high old rail bridge over a fast section of the Mississippi — makes it a scenic stop for anyone exploring the river north of Little Falls.

Visiting

Because Blanchard is an operating hydro station on rural land rather than a developed park, there is no single street address, and public access, parking, and any camping or fishing near the dam are best confirmed with the City of Royalton or Minnesota Power before you go. The surrounding area is also known to rock hunters: it is one of the few places where staurolite — the cross-shaped "fairy stone" crystal — is found.

More on the river

For the dam in Little Falls itself and the river's role in the town, see the Mississippi River and the Little Falls dam, or read the wider feature on Little Falls as a Mississippi river town.