Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
A riverbank stabilization project designed to protect the Root River State Trail, approximately two to three miles west of Houston, is almost complete, with the final phase, repairing the asphalt trail, expected to be completed by the end of September.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Parks and Trails prioritized the project after sections of the Root River bank eroded to within inches of the trail, threatening its long-term stability, the safety of trail users, and the overall experience of riding on the River State Trail.
Laurel Quill, Central Region Manager for Parks and Trails, noted that similar stabilization work will likely be needed on other sections of the Root River State Trail in the future.
Quill and Stacy Smith, Acquisition and Development Program Supervisor, for the DNR’s Division of Parks and Trails, recently discussed the project and its goals.
“The primary objective was to stabilize the riverbank to improve the trail and to maintain the trail and take rate,” said Quill.
The project carries an estimated cost of $750,000 and is 100% funded by the State of Minnesota.
The completed work includes three stabilization areas totaling approximately 1,600 feet.
Before construction began, some sections of the riverbank had eroded to within 12 inches of the trail. The asphalt surface also showed numerous cracks and low spots where the trail had begun to settle.
According to project information provided by the DNR, erosion posed an increasing risk to both the trail and the surrounding riverbank, making stabilization necessary before more significant damage occurred.
To stabilize the bank, the DNR combined gray and green infrastructure.
Gray infrastructure includes engineered materials, including large riprap rocks and concrete placed along the river’s edge to reduce erosion. Green infrastructure relies on natural vegetation such as willow trees to strengthen and stabilize the shoreline.
We’re providing a nice viewable shoreline that people from both the water and the trail users will be able to experience,” Smith said. “We were able to take that gray infrastructure, put it into the site, and then put that green infrastructure back on top of it in order to help stabilize the shoreline.”
The DNR designed the project with both long-term erosion control and aesthetics in mind, recognizing that the Root River is enjoyed by canoeists, kayakers, bicyclists, walkers and anglers.
One of the project’s biggest challenges involved construction timing.
“One of the requirements in order for us to do the construction project was to construct or do the work and complete the work on frozen ground conditions,” Smith explained. “This was a way for us to help reduce the amount of soil disturbance happening. It was also a way for us to protect the equipment and the actual property, the land.”
However, warmer-than-normal spring temperatures shortened the frozen-ground construction window.
“It was unexpected,” Smith said. “We do contingency planning with several schedules with options to anticipate those sorts of things that we don’t have any control over.”
Another challenge was obtaining the necessary permits, which took longer than expected.
DNR officials said they have not yet determined whether flooding earlier this year caused any damage to the newly completed stabilization work.
Heavy equipment has been removed from the site, and crews are expected to complete asphalt repairs this fall before reopening the trail for bicycling and walking.
Gary Wilson, a nearby landowner and longtime user of the Root River State Trail, said that the 6.5 mile Houston extension is now about 25 years old and overdue for resurfacing.
Wilson said continued annual investment and strong leadership will be essential to preserve both the Root River State Trail and the Root River for future generations.
When the final asphalt repairs are completed this fall, trail users will once again be able to enjoy one of Bluff Country’s premier recreational destinations while benefiting from improvements designed to protect both the trail and the Root River for years to come.
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