On August 13 at 2 p.m. in the Grand Marais City Council chambers, the Grand Marais Park Board will be meeting with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to discuss the long proposed public access project near the dog pound in the Grand Marais Municipal Campground.
Grand Marais Park and Recreation Manager Dave Tersteeg said that Joe Russell, DNR Parks and Trails supervisor for the North Shore and Larry Killien, DNR Harbors program coordinator who manages and oversees the state’s Small Craft Harbor and Protected Access Programs on Lake Superior, would be in attendance.
“This is being called by the Grand Marais Chamber of Commerce,” said Tersteeg. “They are real big advocates of this. They see the development of the public access as a way to bring in more revenues and help the city’s businesses.”
The meeting will center on two big items, said Tersteeg. One: Does the new break wall really have to be accessible for walking? Two: How big should it be?
Several years ago the DNR funded a wave study of the current inner rubble-mound break wall that indicated it wasn’t big enough to protect the public. The engineering firm that conducted the study, Johnson, Johnson & Roy (JJR) looked at weather patterns, wind patterns, historical and current water levels, major storm events from one year to 50 years—along with possible costs for the fixes—ran this data through their computers and ended up recommending extending the current inner rubble mound break wall 105 feet in the north/northeast direction.
“For several years now we have been working with the DNR on improvements within the campground to enhance the public’s access to Lake Superior,” said Tersteeg, who noted the project began in 2006 when the city had to replace some old docks and then began looking at other areas that needed upgrading.
The DNR has already ruled out installing a floating attenuator break wall because of size, cost and long term maintenance, said Tersteeg, and is looking at building a more affordable paved rubble mound wall to make the public access safe for docking.
Another part of the public access project includes looking at installing new adjustable floating docks, improving the pavilion picnic area and creating a safe spot for kayakers and canoeists to land, and build a rest room that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act criteria.
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