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Rejuvenated waterfront
The Norway Brook Dam area of Pine River had a tumultuous 2020 and 2021 with the demolition and replacement of both the bridge and dam crossing the Pine River on Barclay Avenue.
The project appears to have paid off as the new dam and the improved park space surrounding it were a hot spot for activity throughout 2022.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation bridge project began in May of 2021 and wrapped up in September that year in time for Landwehr Construction, contracted by the city, to demolish the old dam and replace it with a new rock riffle style dam with fish passageways.
The city portion of the project included work on park space. Kater Park, which is the space around the dam, received new, lush sod, an expanded beach, a floating dock and diving raft.
Continuing with the momentum, the city closed off part of River Street and connected Kater Park to the playground across the road, allowing for more space with less interaction with traffic. New playground equipment was installed and immediately used by Pine River families and visitors.
The project is ongoing with major improvements continuing. The Lions Pavilion currently located in Kater Park will likely make a move south and east of the dam to new park space acquired during bridge construction. Kater Park will receive a new pavilion equipped with a simple kitchen, benches and bathroom space.
Throughout construction and the early part of 2022, residents regularly stopped at the dam site to take photos. Once complete, families were almost always visible making use of the beach and diving raft, laying in the lush grass or (though discouraged) walking across the tops of the rocks that compose the tiered rock riffle dam.
The historic swimming steps received renewed attention, especially during the 2022 duck races.
The new dam benefits wildlife, with nearly half a dozen soft shelled turtles basking on the beach early in the spring and geese floating along the banks. The dam is perhaps most beneficial to fish, which can now theoretically use the dam’s design to pass both up and down river, allowing them a more natural habitat.
While there were a number of duck races throughout 2022, the water flow is not always conducive to the Pine River tradition. The Pine River Chamber of Commerce still plans to host races during the summer, and new methods are being reviewed.
