Winton Hydroelectric Station – Winton, MN - Hydroelectric Power Stations on Waymarking.com

A marker at the falls tells a little about the background of this hydroelectric station which can be viewed downstream.

“For nearly 10,000 years, Kawishiwi Falls has marked a significant ‘coming together of waters.’ The watershed drains from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and eventually flows 2,000 miles north to Hudson Bay.

“Over the millennia, Native Americans, explorers, and voyageurs of the fur trade used canoe routes of the region and certainly portaged around these falls. In the late 1800’s loggers floated millions of board feet of lumber from the waters within what is now the BWCAW over these falls to the mill town of Winton.

“In 1923, Minnesota Power constructed Winton Hydroelectric Station to utilize the power of the Kawishiwi River. Two large underground pipes, called penstocks, divert water from Garden Lake Reservoir through two turbine generators at the station producing four megawatts of electricity at full capacity.

“Winton is one of eleven hydro stations operated by Minnesota Power. The company leads the state in the production of renewable, sustainable hydro-electricity.”
There is also a photograph of the waterfalls and maps of the hiking trail.

The falls and station can be reached by taking the Fernberg Road (Hwy 169) east past Winton. There is a sign that marks the driveway to the parking lot. A wooded trail leads to the falls; the path is relatively easy and just under a mile round trip, although the walk can be extended to include the portage trail between Garden and Fall Lakes. It is wise to wear hiking boots as the terrain has a lot of roots and rocks, and there is a warning about the steep cliffs at the waterfall observation points. This trail is for hiking only; no motors are allowed.

Parking Coordinates: N 47° 56.001 W 091° 45.303

Operational: yes Type of power station: Conventional (dams) Type of turbine: Other/Unknown Operator: Minnesota Power Visitor center: no Date built: 01/01/1923 Generation capacity: four megawatts

Visit Instructions:
For posting a log to an existing waymark, you will need to post a unique picture of the power station. If is not open to the public, please do not enter private property. A picture from the distance is sufficent. If it's possible to enter the machine hall, a picture of it would be nice. Please add some additional informations if possible.

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