Canisteo Pit

Canisteo Pit Construction

The Canisteo Mine Pit (Canisteo) is formed by a complex of inactive iron ore mine pits that have filled with water. The Pit is north of the cities of Coleraine, Bovey, and Taconite.

The DNR began monitoring for pit water level and surrounding groundwater changes in 1990 in order to create an important data record from which water level predictions could be made.

An engineered outlet structure was under construction, with an anticipated completion date in 2025. The outlet would control the pit’s water levels year-round to ensure the neighboring communities are not adversely affected. As of June 2025, the Canisteo water level is around 1305 feet, which is 19 feet below natural overflow.

The DNR paused construction on the water outlet project earlier this summer due to discovery that the construction area contains material that may impact the existing outlet design.  Once the system design has either been updated, or deemed acceptable, construction will resume.

 Additional information is available at the DNR web site: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/waters_program/canisteo.html