I wonder how they will enforce that.
That’s the first thing I thought. When the river isn’t overly high and camping is good, the Boomsite is always full of vehicles sitting for extended periods. I’m guessing they’ll need to start ticketing?
Anyone know the rules at Boomsite, do they officially allow extended parking? It makes sense extended stays are allowed up there considering it’s an exit point from the National Park camping for paddlers.
DNR plans boat launch next to St. Croix bridge
Published March 20, 2017 at 7:00 am
Stillwater Gazette
There aren’t a lot of places to build a boat launch in the St. Croix Valley, according to Kent Skaar, a senior project manager with the Minnesota DNR. That’s because most of the places to put a launch are already developed.
“The opportunities have been relatively limited,” he said.
When the new St. Croix Crossing bridge is complete, however, the DNR plans to construct a boat launch at its base, just south of the bridge on the Minnesota side.
Plans include a double ramp angled downstream — away from the bridge pier — a decontamination station for removing weeds and invasive species, and 35 boat trailer parking spaces.
Skaar expects overnight parking will be allowed, but not for extended periods of time.
Parking will be restricted to vehicles with boat trailers and will not be intended for single vehicles carrying kayaks, canoes or passengers. That type of traffic can use the launch at the St. Croix Boom Site north of Stillwater, Skaar said. He added that the DNR may also consider a public water access in Stillwater’s future Bridgeview Park (formerly known as the Barge Terminal Property) south of downtown.
Conceptual designs for the Oak Park Heights boat launch call for a long, narrow asphalt parking lot, with roundabouts at either end.
“This is kind of an unusual layout,” said Brandon Helm, an acquisition and development specialist with the DNR.
The point of the design is to minimize the impact on wetlands along the riverbank by using areas already filled in by MnDOT during bridge construction. Some of those areas were meant to be filled permanently, but others were only intended to be filled temporarily, to allow sufficient access to the site during bridge construction. The proposed boat launch design would leave some of the temporary fill in place permanently and build the access on top.
The idea of creating public water access near the St. Croix Crossing site isn’t new. In the 1980s, the DNR began purchasing property in the corridor, but stopped at MnDOT’s request, due to plans for a new bridge. At the time, MnDOT committed to adding public water access in conjunction with the bridge project, Skaar said.
In September of 2012, the DNR and MnDOT executed a mitigation agreement “to locate and construct a public boat access facility to the St. Croix River.” The agreement provided the DNR $1.2 million for the purpose, which remains available for construction, Skaar said.
Currently the DNR is working to obtain the required permits for the proposed boat launch. Construction isn’t expected to start until 2019, with a potential opening in fall 2019 or spring 2020.
The Oak Park Heights City Council heard a presentation on the project March 14. Council members asked questions about practical matters such as trash receptacles and toilets.
Skaar said the site would probably have two portable toilets but no trash cans. That’s typical for the 1,685 public water access sites operated by the DNR.
“You bring it, you take it with,” Skaar said of trash. “It really is quite effective overall. There’s always someone who’s going to leave that diaper off to the side. … The minute you put out a trash can, somebody tries to cram a mattress and a refrigerator in it.”
Oak Park Heights Councilmember Mark Swenson said the site is ideal.
“Really you couldn’t find a better spot for a boat launch,” he said. “There’s minimal current right there.”
The Barge Terminal property was slated for a new DNR launch with I believe 16 spots. From this link by the city of Stillwater, it says funds have already been allocated for that project. I remember a Strib article about a year before the new bridge was started specifying the new ramp.
http://www.ci.stillwater.mn.us/bargeterminalplan
From my understanding, it was funded, but delayed to accommodate a barge landing for the new bridge? Hopefully, they get both built. 35 spots is a start, but we need something that rivals the Bluffs on our end.
Anyone know the rules at Boomsite, do they officially allow extended parking? It makes sense extended stays are allowed up there considering it’s an exit point from the National Park camping for paddlers.
I know for a few years, I’d park from 2-5 days without moving my truck. I’m glad I don’t sleep in a boat anymore 
I haven’t heard much about the new boat ramp under I94 on the MN side. Does anyone know if this is still on track to be constructed this summer? They had been talking about opening fall 2019 or spring 2020.
I haven’t heard anything new, but I really hope they get something going. Many days last year I drove over to the croix, the launch just north of Stillwater, and wasn’t able to get in because the lot was already full. I wasn’t too keen on paying upwards of 30 bucks to launch at a private site, either, so I just drove off frustrated. Good thing i’m no good at finding walleye out there anyway.
I haven’t heard much about the new boat ramp under I94 on the MN side. Does anyone know if this is still on track to be constructed this summer? They had been talking about opening fall 2019 or spring 2020.
Tangler, I think you mean the new one under Hwy 36 (the new Stillwater Bridge)? I don’t think anything has been started yet.
Hard to build anything when the area is completely flooded.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tangler wrote:</div>
I haven’t heard much about the new boat ramp under I94 on the MN side. Does anyone know if this is still on track to be constructed this summer? They had been talking about opening fall 2019 or spring 2020.Tangler, I think you mean the new one under Hwy 36 (the new Stillwater Bridge)? I don’t think anything has been started yet.
Yes, I meant to type 36 not I94.
Obviously they’ll need to wait for reasonable water levels I was just curious if anyone had heard anything in the last 2 years since this came out. These things have a way of dying.
Hard to build anything when the area is completely flooded.
Hopefully they can start to plan to build a launch in high and low conditions but that area may be too low?
Either way, few landing when the water is high.
There’s a paved access loop down there, folks were launching kayaks and parking subarus right under the bridge on Sunday. I’ve been meaning to check it out.
MN Rep’s would rather invest the money into 7 million dollar bathrooms than any boat landings
I suppose the new gas tax some want will be used for remodeling more rest areas.7.2M could have paved some crumbling miles of road or fixed alot of potholes.
In theory I totally agree with Grouse-Lakes even have these ‘no parking’ signs and its just about landowners getting their way. To the guy who wants an access every 5 miles, you want better access because the fishing is good, the fishing is good because the accesses are bad (limited/expensive)
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