Upper Kinni
For about 10 miles from its headwaters north of Interstate 94 to River Falls the Upper Kinni is:
…narrow, cold, deep and clear, flowing over sand and gravel down the middle, with silt at the margins. It is a typical spring creek. (Humphrey and Shogren in Wisconsin & Minnesota Trout Streams)
According to geologist William S Cordua:
Dominating the landscape of the upper Kinni are the glacial moraines and outwash plains left by the most recent glacier which melted back out of the area less than 15,000 years ago.
Both brook and brown trout inhabit the upper Kinni, with densities estimated around 6000-8000 trout per mile of stream.
Numerous springs feed the Kinni and a number of tributaries and creeks play a major role in the river’s flow. Parker Creek, Nye Creek, Ted Creek and Kelly Creek are all found in the Upper Kinni watershed.
In the city of River Falls (population 12,500+) the river is interrupted by two hydroelectric dams. These dams are operated by the River Falls Municipal Utility and licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The River north of the hydropower dam is known as the Upper Kinni; the River below the dam is known as the Lower Kinni. The Upper Kinni flows through the City of River Falls which was built around its banks in the mid 1800s.
