The Kinni This Fall: Where River Falls Walks, Paddles, and Fishes While the Dams Wait

A few years ago, local reporting put the removal of Powell Falls Dam on the calendar for 2026. Now it's October 2026, and both Powell Dam and Junction Dam are still in the Kinnickinnic. The Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District updated its project page on September 15. It says the restoration "is currently waiting for funding to develop the Project Partnership Agreement and start design."

That isn't a setback so much as a reset of expectations. For this fall, and probably a good number of falls after it, the downtown Kinni will stay the dammed version. But the free-flowing river the project is trying to restore doesn't only exist in planning documents. You can walk it and paddle it a few miles downstream of Main Street, and October is when it shows up best.

Where the dam project actually stands

The Corps describes the stretch of river through River Falls as "highly degraded because of impoundments." It also notes that before the dams went in, the Kinnickinnic was a free-flowing river with natural waterfalls. The two impoundments, Lake George and Lake Louise, brought sediment buildup, warmer water, and less aquatic diversity to what is otherwise a Class 1 trout stream.

The federal recommendation is to remove both dams and reconnect 1.5 miles of natural channel. Here's how the pieces line up as of early October:

At a June 9, 2026 workshop, the city recorded a $1.85 million federal request to cover project cooperation and early design. The city's September community development report says more should be known "later this year" about whether the Baldwin funding moves forward. The draft 2027 to 2031 capital plan shows spending peaking in 2029 and 2030, partly because of dam removal and river restoration. That's a planning projection, though, not a construction date.

The part of the project downtown walkers already see is Lake Louise. Powell Falls Dam was damaged in a 2020 flood and Lake Louise was drained, with the gate left open. The dam itself is still standing. The corridor also has a name now. The city has adopted "Kinni Riverway" as the identity for future signage, wayfinding, and recreation amenities along the river.

For an October walk, here's what that means. Design hasn't been funded yet, so the restored channel is still years off. The city still lists the new launches and takeouts in its plans as potential opportunities. You'll be enjoying the river as it is today.

The town stretch is the impounded river, and it has its own appeal

Walking north from the Winter Street Bridge, you're beside Lake George, the pool connected to Junction Falls Dam. The White/Kinnickinnic Pathway follows the west bank from Winter Street Bridge to Maple Street on paved trail. There's parking at each end and a lookout deck facing Lake George.

Heritage Park, at the north end of the pathway, is a free one-acre park on the river and Lake George. It has a paved path, benches, a fishing dock, waterfowl viewing, and parking off Maple Street. This is the stretch the Corps calls degraded, but it's also the only place in town with this much open water. If the river someday runs free here, this view will change completely. Many people who walk it now may later be glad they paid attention.

That same path hosted Art on the Kinni on September 12, with juried artists, music, and food vendors set up along the White Trail and in Heritage Park.

Glen Park is the hinge between the two rivers

Glen Park is where the town river meets the canyon river, and it's where the city's own plans for the corridor are most concrete. City trails run from the park north to the Kinnickinnic Pathway, south to River Hills Park, and down to the river. Pedestrians can reach the Swinging Bridge from Cascade Avenue, Glen Park Road, and Park Street.

The bridge is worth a slower crossing this fall than usual. The Minneapolis Bridge Company built it in 1925, and the River Falls Improvement League raised the $4,800 to pay for it, roughly $90,000 in today's dollars. It's a true suspension bridge, 190 feet long with an eight-foot walkway, hanging 44 feet above the South Fork of the Kinnickinnic. That design is uncommon in Wisconsin. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2018.

The city is designing a renovation this year, with work set to start in 2027. Plans call for replacing all of the timber and some of the suspension cables, in coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office and the River Falls Historic Preservation Commission. As someone who has lived through an 1880s renovation, I'd suggest a few photos of the current deck and portals before the new timber goes in.

Several Glen Park Master Plan items were still listed as not done in a January 2026 city memo: an overlook, better lower-trail connections, a watercraft unloading area, and a trailhead at West Park Street. The park's role as the jumping-off point for the canyon is already set, though. Commercial paddle trips start here.

Below town, the canyon is a preview

Downstream of downtown, the Kinni runs through a canyon rather than a reservoir. That's the setting the restoration hopes to bring back up into town, and the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust keeps a good share of it open to the public for free.

• Drewiske Family Preserve. 46 acres with river access in the lower canyon, plus forest, prairie, bluffs, and trails connecting to the water. Some sections are steep, so wear footwear with grip once the leaves are down.
• Community Forest. A 40-acre preserve downstream of town with 1,500 feet of river frontage, where the Rocky Branch tributary comes in.
• Kelly Creek Preserve. Trails through restored prairie and woodland, following a cold, spring-fed creek that joins the main Kinni near County Road J.
• Headwaters Preserve. Skip this one for a casual walk for now. It's in prairie and oak-savanna restoration and has no defined trail system.

Farther down, Kinnickinnic State Park is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and has about 9.2 miles of hiking trails. You'll need a vehicle admission sticker. If you're short on time, the Brown Trail is a quick spur out to a Kinni Valley overlook. The Purple Trail follows the bluff above the Kinnickinnic River Delta, and the Red Trail has valley views too.

You can also take in the canyon by water. Kinni Creek Lodge & Outfitters runs a lower-canyon trip of about three hours from Glen Park to the County Road F bridge at the state park. It's rated intermediate to advanced and booked by phone only. Kinni Kayak lists a five-mile Upper Kinni trip of about two hours and an eight-mile Lower Kinni trip of three to three and a half hours. Neither outfitter posts a firm end date for the 2026 season, so call before you plan an October paddle.

The Land Trust held its Nature Fest at Green Pastures Family Farm on October 3, with river ecology activities and fly-casting lessons. Kiap-TU-Wish, the local Trout Unlimited chapter, invites volunteers to its habitat workdays through a coordinator. It hasn't posted a fall date.

The October clock

Some of these windows close this month, and the dam schedule has nothing to do with it.

1. October 15: trout season closes. Wisconsin's general inland trout season runs April 4 through October 15, 2026. After the close, even catch-and-release fishing is illegal unless a specific water has an exception. The DNR's 2026 rules for the Kinnickinnic and its tributaries set a five-trout limit, with only one over 12 inches, and list no fall extension. This year's early catch-and-release season ran from January 3 to April 3, so it's a winter-to-spring season, not a fall one.
2. Mid-October: Lund's Fly Shop changes hours. The shop at 101 S. Main St. posts daily hours through mid-October, then switches to a separate schedule that runs through February. Guided trips are arranged by inquiry.
3. Late season: paddle trips. Call either outfitter before assuming a date is open.
4. Year-round: the state park. Kinnickinnic State Park keeps its 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours all year.

The Kinni Riverway will take shape on the city's funding timeline. Meanwhile, the canyon from Glen Park to County Road F is there to walk and paddle now, and it's a good picture of what the downtown river might look like someday.

If you love the river, whether that means an October paddle, a property with water access, or an older home within walking distance of the Swinging Bridge, I'd be glad to talk through what you're looking for along the Kinni and the St. Croix. Bailey Sivanich is always happy to talk about life on the water. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.