The Birch Dam is located off MN State Hwy 1, just about 7.5 miles from Ely and 10.5 miles from Babbitt. The Birch Dam was orginally built as a logging dam. The 5,600 acre Birch Lake Reservoir is used for water storage to supplement winter water flow used for the hydroelectric power generation for the Winton Hydrostation. The dam had a major rebuild that took 2 years to complete. Between 2012 and 2013 the rotted wooden structure made up of timber cribs and boulders was replaced with concrete piers that are 8 feet thick, 10 feet tall and 20 feet long. The water levels are controlled by MN Power. The water that is flowing over the dam flows north and eventually ends up in the Hudson Bay,
There are 2 areas to park to obtain the answer to the questions below. You can park on either side of the dam in a parking lot. The north side has picnic tables and a portable outhouse. It is a great place to stop and walk down to the river. DO NOT WALK OR PARK ON THE ROAD. There is plenty of room on the shoulder to walk on. Watch for traffic while crossing the highway and hold on to the hands of your children if you have them with you.
Failure to email me the ansers to the questions or posting the answers in your log will result in your log being deleted.
- How many gates does the dam have?
- What is the Minnesota bridge number-located on the bridge on the dam side?
- What are the 2 years listed on the plaque-located below the bridge number?
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.