Community Corner
High Waters on Mississippi River Close Trails, Parks near Mendota Heights
Logjams making a mess of river bends, as local news organizations have been reporting.
Fast-flowing water and lots of it—along with trees and branches swept away in recent storms—are making the Mississippi River along Mendota Heights treacherous, according to news media outlets and state and local park officials.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, it's not a situation authorities have experience with:
"It's unique," said Rick Larkin, director of St. Paul Emergency Management. "I don't think we've ever encountered a situation like this before."
A large float of logs, branches and garbage has collected on the western edge of the Raspberry Island Bridge, which runs over a side channel from Harriet Island Regional Park to Raspberry Island.
Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Read the full article at twincities.com.
WCCO-TV has been monitoring the situation for days.
- Saturday: St. Paul Yacht Club: Log Jam Is Getting Dangerously Large
- Tuesday: Log Jam Blocking Boats Along Mississippi In St. Paul
- Tuesday: Who Will Clean Up The Massive St. Paul Log Jam?
People seeking holiday fun should be careful of the high waters, reported KSTP:
If people are out there playing on the water this holiday weekend, it could be dangerous. St. Paul Emergency Management Director Rick Larkin tells KSTP they’re treating this as a public safety issue.
“To mitigate any future potential public safety concerns, should this break loose all at once, we'd rather take that out of there now to protect the public safety, the bridges, the property downstream,” Larkin said.
See the full report at kstp.com.
Lilydale Regional Trail and boat launch has been closed since June 25, 2013, according to the City of St. Paul website:
Lilydale Regional Trail has been closed due to high river levels. Road closure signage has been moved to the east of the Pool and Yacht Club parking lot and west of Saint Paul Yacht Club. The DNR boat launch is also closed.
Trail and boat launch will re-open once river levels subside.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has closed Pike and Picnic islands in Fort Snelling State Park, according to an online notice last updated Monday:
Due to the rising river levels, Pike Island and Picnic Island are closed until further notice. Most trails adjacent to the river or backwater channel are closed due to flooding.
Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Visitors are still able to bike along the main park road, from the beach area to the visitor center, and up to the Minnehaha trail. The Wood Duck Trail around Snelling Lake is also open. The beach area is open, and offers space for people to picnic with tables and grills available on a first-come, first-served basis. The fishing pier is available, and kayak and canoe rentals are available. The Thomas Savage Visitor Center is open.
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