Elk River, Minnesota

the potato fields to the west, were also built. The Orono Dam was destroyed by an ice storm in 1912, but hydropower gave a new incentive to dam the Elk River in 1915. This new dam created the four lobes of Lake Orono as it looks today, and in 1916, the Village of Elk River received electricity for the first time. The entire Township of Elk River would not get electricity until after World War II. In 1974, the Village of Elk River changed to the City of Elk River; in 1978, the City of Elk River and the Township of Elk River were consolidated to create one unit known as the City of Elk River as it exists today. By the 1990s, Elk River and Sherburne County were in one of the fastest growing corridors in the state and the country. The city’s location on Highways 10, 169, and 101, along with its close proximity to Interstate 94 and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, made it an ideal address for outward migrating companies from Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Cloud, and beyond. Population growth and the area’s high commuter rate factored into the ultimate approval and implementation of the Northstar Commuter Rail service from Minneapolis to Big Lake, which began service on November 16, 2009, with stops in Elk River, Ramsey, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley. Today, Elk River is a modern, dynamic city with a strong industrial base paired with a long- term commitment to sustainability and green technologies. “Our tagline is ‘Powered by Nature,’” says City Administrator Calvin Portner. “Our ‘nature’ has three components. One is, we’re very environmentally conscious and we have a lot of outdoor interests. In fact, the city owns a 320- acre wildlife refuge within our city limits. We have another nature park on the Elk River that has eagles’ nests, and we have another large natural area that has a lot of trails on 300-some acres. We have acres of prairie grass, and an organic recycling program, so, we have that nature component as well. And we’ve taken a very long- term view of our impact on the world around us. “Another part is the friendly, warm, welcoming nature of the people here, who are very proud 4.75 mile Great Northern Trail located within Elk River’s Woodland Trails Regional Park