Catalyzing Change: Collaborative
efforts and related
activities
Several projects are occurring or are planned for the area in and around Grassy Point. Here are
some brief highlights:
Keene Creek Relocation: Marine and industrial development near the mouth of Keene
Creek has led to substantial alteration of the stream bed. While documentation is scanty, many
changes to the location of the stream channel likely occurred over time. The resulting picture in
the early 1990's was one where Keene Creek no longer fed directly into the Grassy Point wetland
complex. In 1991-1993, a project to rebuild Waseca Industrial Road in West Duluth included
moving the mouth of Keene Creek so that it again flowed into the wetland at Grassy Point.
Keene Creek Trail. In 1996 a project was begun to develop a trail from Irving Park in
Duluth to Grassy Point. This project uses ISTEA (Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act) funds and local dollars to improve access
to Grassy Point.
Grassy Point Public Access. This project, completed in 1996 provides better public
access to Grassy Point through a parking area and park benches. A gate was also constructed to
restrict vehicle access to parts of the area where dumping of garbage had become a problem.
Lesure Street Removal. As part of a project to restore wetland habitat that will be lost to
a commercial development elsewhere in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, plans were developed to
remove several acres of fill placed in the wetland at Grassy Point during construction of Lesure
Street. Lesure Street once provided access to the Arrowhead Bridge that carried traffic on US
Hwy. 2 from West Duluth to Billings Park in Superior Wisconsin. The Arrowhead bridge was
removed when the new Richard Ira Bong Bridge was built, but the wetland fill remains. The
project includes removing the fill to create wetland and shallow, protected-water areas for plant
and animal habitat and will be designed to allow carry-down boat access to the St. Louis River.
Cross City Trail There are plans to link the existing Willard Munger State Trail system south
of Duluth with the North Shore State Trail that runs from the northern part of Duluth up the
shore of Lake Superior. Current plans are very preliminary, but they suggest that the Cross City
Trail linking these two existing trails could skirt the western tip of Grassy Point, providing
additional public access to this site.
Wildlife Viewing Trails A proposal to the Minnesota Legislative Commission on Minnesota
Resources (LCMR) was submitted that included funds for constructing a trail system within the
Grassy Point wetland for wildlife observation and other passive recreation. The project was to
include floating boardwalks and elevated viewing platforms. While the project was not funded,
The City of Duluth and local groups remain interested in developing a trail system through the
wetland.
Purple Loosestrife Control Purple Loosestrife is a non-native plant that invades wetlands,
crowding out native vegetation. It provides no habitat value to the wetland animals, and in places,
can completely replace the complex mixture of native plants with a monoculture of loosestrife.
The State of Minnesota has a series of control measures used to reduce the impact of the plant on
wetland communities. At Grassy Point, as with other long-established sites, the best control
strategy is likely to be through biological control organisms. Two species of leaf-eating beetles
that have been thoroughly screened and approved for use by the USDA were released at Grassy
Point in 1995. In 1996 adults and larvae were found and evidence of feeding and egg laying was
observed. It will likely be several years before the beetle populations are able to build enough to
reduce the amount of purple loosestrife found at Grassy Point. The evidence of survival and
reproduction at the site is encouraging though. For more purple loosestrife information, try
these links.
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