Above the Falls natural areas scoping results

Ole Olson Park offers a river restoration project site with great views of the downtown skyline from north of the Broadway Bridge.

Photo: Joe Walton

The Friends of the Mississippi Rivers stewardship program is moving upstream! Several new or renovated parks along the river north of downtown Minneapolis have come on line in the past few years, and there is significant momentum for that trend to continue. Already, new raingardens, prairie plantings, and shoreline restorations are in need of ongoing monitoring and care by volunteers and the need for local stewardship will continue as more parks are added and improved.

FMR is looking to engage local residents in protecting and restoring natural areas within these parks. We hope to build healthier neighborhoods with strong river connections through outreach, education, and engaging volunteers to improve habitat and water quality in their own communities. In the long term, we want to facilitate a sustainable model for ongoing stewardship of riverfront amenities and cultivate advocates to support park and river improvements.

The first part of this project was a scoping phase, in which FMR ecologist Joe Walton evaluated about a dozen sites along the river in north and northeast Minneapolis for potential restoration of natural communities. All of the sites that he evaluated were on existing public parkland, had some degree of ecological integrity, provided good volunteer access, and had potential for future opportunities and funding. Sites ranged from older parks to those that had recently been installed and even some that were yet to be started. All sites had an area that was either natural or that contained a created naturalized component, such as a native planting or raingarden.

From this initial pool of sites, FMR is working with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) staff to select two or three sites to focus on for the next phase of planning, restoration implementation, and community stewardship activities. We are also meeting with neighborhood groups, community organizations, and local leaders to share the scoping results, hear their perspectives, and discuss ways to collaborate on engaging local residents in river stewardship activities.

The field visits revealed that the condition of the sites varied widely. None of the areas were free from ecological disturbance, being so close to a very intensively urban and industrial area. Some areas had remnant plant communities while others were highly disturbed.

After conducting the field surveys during spring and summer of 2012, Joe prepared a summary of his findings and recommendations in a document titled, Above the Falls: Natural Area Scoping. Read a brief synopsis of what Joe found at several of the sites (listed below in geographic order from north to south) here, or download a PDF of the full report.

• St. Anthony Parkway
• Marshall Terrace Park; islands
• Gluek Park
• Edgewater Park
• Ole Olson Park
• 22nd Avenue Raingarden
• Sheridan Memorial Park
17th Avenue Overlook
• Boom Island Park
• Basset Creek Confluence
• B. F. Nelson Park
• Nicollet Island