This narrative history of the St. Paul District of the Army Corps of Engineers examines the role of the Corps in water-resource development and management, including the conflicts over what that role should be. A section on the Minnesota River discusses early river navigation, government river surveys, the failure of proposed dam projects, and the fight over constructions of channels to increase commercial river use. Additional issues, such as the early exploration of Minnesota, including the Minnesota River Valley, and the role of the Corps in pollution and flood control, are also discussed.
