Model Study of the Minnesota River Near Wilmarth Power Plant, Minnesota

The Wilmarth Power Plant, owned and operated by Northern States Power Company, is located on the east bank of the Minnesota River, just downstream of the City of Mankato. The plant receives its cooling water from an intake on the river. The plant has been in operation for over 3.5 years. In 1981, a tendency for sand to accumulate in the intake screenhouse was observed. The plant. superintendent in 1983, J. M. Pappenfus, commented as follows in a 1l1cmorandum; "We are suspicious that the river has recently changed" [1]*. Since then, dredging has been required to prevent further siltation at the intake.