[citation needed] The presence of dams along the river has influenced geomorphologic changes which affect fish, mussel populations and sediment.

[3] That same year the town was connected to Minneapolis and Chicago by Railroad, which encouraged the development of wheat agriculture in the surrounding area.

[4] The rebuilt mill used a new method of processing wheat that produced a finer, white flour that was highly valued by consumers.

[2][5] By 1880, the Cannon River was no longer sufficient to supply the energy needs of the flour mill, and Ames installed a steam engine.

Evidence shows that the implementation of Dams in MN has significantly decreased abundances and altered distributional patterns of this keystone species in river ecosystems.

The lack of host fish and the toxicity of the water caused by anthropogenic activities has led to the extinction of many native mussels species in Minnesota.

The removal of the dam would increase connectivity and fish migration which would likely repopulate the area with mussels, significantly improving the health of the Cannon River ecosystem.

[11] In 2009, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources subsequently prioritized funding for the dam to be made "less dangerous and better for wildlife",[12] placing it fifth on a list of 104 projects.

[13] A student paper from nearby Carleton College, after weighing various approaches to the problem, eventually settled on supporting removal.

Included in that framework was a study done on the feasibility of reconstruction/removal, with potential plans to create a more gradually sloping structure in the place of the dam.

However, there have since been some community concerns about the implementation of the plan, including how it could affect the town's annual Defeat of Jesse James Day festival and celebrations.