Boom Island Construction

Holy crapoly batman, had no idea of this. Saw construction going on it last few weeks and finally got around to googling.

https://www.minneapolisparks.org/news/2017/10/24/2657/restoration_of_halls_island_along_northeast_minneapolis_riverfront_begins_in_november

Putting back an island, thats awesome. More shorefishing opportunities. Be interesting to see what that does for the boat harbor traffic. Kind of nice having that stretch mainly to myself most of summer. Alot of fish in that area certain times of year, another piece of structure for them to hang out on. Hopefully with that current coming through there it’ll leave that harbor area open later into the season, sucks it freezes up right away.

On a side note of Boom, they will be lighting up the Grain belt sign on the 30th. Why they picked wintertime to do this is beyond me, wouldve been awesome to be in the boat enjoying a classic Premium as she was turned on.

Very cool, Anyone ever try ice fishing in the harbor? I’ve never thought of it…

That is going to be a very nice place for those that live, sleep and drink on that shoreline to hang out. Bet they will get to catch the occasional concert to.

Ive thrown some tipups on the closing dam that sits parralel with that shoreline a couple nights with no luck. Havent tried the harbor area, this time of year its anywhere from 3-5′ deep.

She was frozen up really early this year so id guarantee it be safe to walk. This time of year you dont have to worry about any misfits in the area which is nice.

Thanks for the Tips Nhamm!

If anyone is interested in thr future development of Northside river projects, watch this video. It’s beautiful.

One more of halls island.

This is really awesome. Will be great to see this project and others clean up the riverfront up there. Should be smallmouth city up there around that island!

That’s what I’m hoping for but upon further review, it’s really lacking alot of fishing aspects.

Whole concept is really dominated by smooth lines, that goes into the water as well with much of the new shoreline big slabs of stone. As cool as big slabs of stone are, they don’t do as much for habitat as riprap. And that shoreline had tons of crayfish living in that stuff with many other bugs. That stone ain’t gonna have crap. Sandy Beach is nice but that probably will silt in few years time and the gravel the same.

There was already a sunken island between the bridge piling and shore which during the cold months when the fish from upper pool would hunker down in the deeper part of that southern part you could catch walleyes behind it and smallies would be in the trenches on the sides. Not the case anymore, everything silted in or became full of muck crap.

That harbor gets stagnant as hell in the summer, and with a closing dam shown in one of the drawings right above the entrance curious to how with that shallow of water that’ll pan out for clearing that out, if at all.

The new backwaters are freaking awesome if they ever happen. Don’t get me wrong I still think it’s a whole conspiracy thing with how the locks got shutdown, but after shorefishing alot of these businesses and see how much crap gets dumped in our waters from their lack of wanting to update water drainage systems or even northern metals polluting my Northside air for years they can all kiss my . Half the land for the projects is from these type businesses up and leaving the taxpayer with the remediation of the land they polluted.

I’ve never felt more compelled to become involved. Been researching since I posted. May be a little to late on this project, but for future ones.

Biggest issue, in any of the literature or videos, NOT a SINGLE fishing pier. Why do I also get the feeling all those raised decks and platforms are going to have “no fishing” signs posted…..

I understand your angst towards the riverfront businesses. However, don’t forget those same businesses helped build and fund the city for years. First it was the mills, then the brewery’s now everything else. If it wasn’t for the developers building their high-rises and condo’s those businesses wouldn’t be moving. The city has attempted to get them closed down and moved for years & years. It’s the price the city has to pay. They want to kick the businesses out, they will need to clean the properties up. Your fishing environment doesn’t count a lick in all this either UNLESS it falls under the guidance of those developing the water.

I don’t have a dog in the fight and don’t care one way or the other. However there are always two sides to every issue. The upside is the waterway gets cleaned up, which is good. Downside is more tax dollars are gone.

Thanks for sharing the info Nick. Please keep us posted as you know more. I need to get up there and check out that part of the river.

I agree Brian, they did help build the city to what it is today but times change, business changes, and business practices changes. Can’t imagine any ethical business knowingly polluting the grounds and waters they sit in without any kind of long term contingency plan to clean it up. Might’ve been that way hundred years ago but so was many other egregious practices that we have since remediated.

Obviously it’s a slippery slope of a companies accountability and the bankruptcy laws protecting them. It’s certainly a failsafe many entrepreneurs need to have to even begin projects. But, at the end of these businesses lives they simply close the doors and leave it to us to clean up. Many of these businesses would be closing doors either way, this gives em a good way out would be another point of view.

Taxpayers do lose out short term, but just like many of the sports teams you care about and we invest in it’s the same for this. Those high rises and mixed business/residential places will more than makeup in the long term, and like you mentioned we all get a sweet buffer system to the water way, and recreational areas.

Pool2, it’s a decent spot to fish right now. But as I get to know it more, and see how it’s changing in 5 years it could really be something. Smallies getting bigger, more crappies being caught, eyes seem to have stayed the same, but the catfish are starting to get impressive. Let me know when you do, I’ll give ya the down low.

You guys both make fair points. I think they will allow fishing as all the other locations along the river in that area do. However, the big money for the city is gentrification in these areas, especially since most of the business along the river are dead or dying. Bring in residents to pay taxes and spend money. I don’t think we, as fisherman, probably get much thought when it comes to these types of projects. Not right, but I understand it. Good on you, nhamm, to get involved and represent sportsmen and your community.

I love this city and I’m glad to see development happen along the river. We don’t need more bike lanes in uptown or to rename the lakes. The river is arguably the most important resource this area has ever had. I’m glad it’s getting some more attention even if it doesn’t directly impact my fishing opportunities.

Amen, Nick. $%?* those businesses.

A few observations from the videos:

My life will be complete when the river has WiFi on that stretch

The large amount of pavilion glass on the Scherer bros site will kill a lot of birds.

I saw 2 beavers on the newly constructed island, if they plant all those birch trees, what do they think those 2 beavers are going to eat?

They forgot to add in all the tent towns that will arise on that nice level grass land under the bridges.

Also, all that nice bright concrete sure will look nice with gang graffiti all over it.

Apparently they will be adding shrimp to the river based on all those trawlers that are floating on the river.

But in all seriousness, it appears that the Boom Island landing is turned to grass? That better not happen because there is no way I would EVER use that landing on the West side of the river. I have 4 tires on my truck (plus a spare), I have 4 tires on my trailer (plus a spare). I am quite confident a day on the river would cost them all. That landing north on the west side is one place it is not only possible to happen but highly likely.

But then again, maybe the Wifi will allow them to put cameras at the landing……

Ok so enough of the cynicism, The West side of the river is a scourge on our city. It is absolutely disgusting. A day long float on this stretch also requires a hammer and chisel to clean your hull off at days end

IF all that helps clean the water, then I am a fan.

wormdunker wrote:

IF all that helps clean the water, then I am a fan.

It’s a piece of the puzzle. The river is only clean as the water that gets dumped into it, and they’ve been working on that for awhile now. Basset creek, which I also grew up by as a kid in Crystal has really been improved and will continue to do so, as well as shingle creek and rice creek.

Big part of the puzzle again is that storm water runoff. As seen in that video that’s a key component to the project.

AUTO_5 wrote:

Amen, Nick. $%?* those businesses

Yup, to those that don’t care I agree. But, there are still many businesses over there that do care and have changed what they needed to and do supply a great amount of economy to the area. We don’t want to spoil the whole batch with a few bad apples ya know.

Personally I think it’d be bad@$$ to keep around some of those old relics of industry on the westside, makes some trails around the shingle plant, let the concept of industry mixed with nature come about, as Dutchy mentioned before it was and still is an important piece of it’s own puzzle too.

When I take my dad fishing down there he can tell ya what all those places use to be on the westside, he not only fished em but worked at many. He’s amazed at what the fishery has become from when he was a kid down there, I just want that same jump forward for all our kids as well.

Totally agree, nick. I, for one, am intrigued in a weird way by fishing in the midst of civilization and industry. It’s such a cool mix of nature/infrastructure.

Don’t get me wrong, pristine Canadian Shield lakes bordered by pine trees and littered with islands do it for me too!

As far as I’m concerned, this could bite, big time. That stretch just upriver of the boat landing is great fish habitat now. I usually just throw the trolling motor down and start in the harbor. Great fishing right there and then go upriver along the bank. Smallmouth, walleyes and cats all live right there. That sure looks like it could change judging by the picture, but if you downstream from the landing, they still have a pretty fair amount of rock, so I’ll hold my breath. Either way, it will probably take a few years for life to move back in.

I just worry that the urban planners don’t plan for the wild critters, just for the way the river looks. There is a lot of good water along the stretch they plan on renovating and they always get rid of fallen trees and the like which is great habitat. It just looks icky.

Drove by the construction today, from the distant view of on the bridge and across on w.river rd the rip rap that is lining the new island is good stuff. Seem to be a smaller variety than what was on that shoreline originally, which personally I’ll take all day. Obviously this can be just a base layer but I think it’s looking favorable.

Same concerns as you Gordon, but this looks promising. The shovels seem to be put away for now.

I wouldn’t worry about fish taking time to find and use this. I’ve seen other projects on the river hold fish almost immediately, as long as conditions are correct they adapt quickly.

Forgot the pics

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Update.

Looking good. Didn’t get to scan the island and see what kind of depths and rock going around it but will at some point this year.

Kids wanted a boat ride.

Launch is open. Parking is now $1/hr. Up from .75/hr last year. If you get a ticket you have the option to buy a yearly pass instead of fine with pass being $30 last year.

Cats are gonna start turning on shortly. All the little kitties are in the channels now.

All the 12-14″ smallies you want will be on riprap. Small crayfish plastics on jigs are hot, light green can be really good, bigger fish will be where it transitions to sand. Trolling raps will also bring fish boatside. Draggin a jig and crawler also will catch everything.

See a guy in a white Crestliner with the biggest white Johnson out there say hi!

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Great shot nick and thanks for the tips

nhamm wrote:

See a guy in a white Crestliner with the biggest white Johnson out there say hi!

AHEM!

They should be done with the trails pretty quick here if not already. Halls is getting there too.

The upper harbor terminal is financed and project meeting to the public middle of the month here. I’ll be there representing fisherman, will report back.

Thanks for the update Nick. Lots of potential changes afoot for our river. The USACE just held public meetings about getting rid of the locks as well. 15 years from now I wonder what things will look like!

Glad ya brought that up. One of the points I will be looking for as well. If those locks go bye bye, what will that do to the pool water levels and more so the millions of dollars in projects completed what could be just years prior?

One can only imagine it would recede back to the nav channel which is probably 50-100yds out from both shorelines all the way from Camden to the falls. That’s alot more shoreline real estate to deal with.

I suppose if they get a good 10yrs out of it that could be good. Those falls I don’t think are going anywhere anytime soon, the mass cleanup needed for an entire strech of river is a huge undertaking. A few water heaters and fridges I will miss as fish structure though

The lock thing I’m very skeptical about. The Federal rules are so restrictive on what the USACE can even propose. From what I’ve read there are only 2 available choices for them to debate — Status Quo or Sell the locks. No room for any debate around any other possible alternatives; and it will take an act of congress to approve? I just don’t see it happening any time soon.

I’d personally like to see the dams stay but I don’t think it makes any sense to keep the locks operational. Pretty serious operation they’re running just to let a few pleasure boats lock up from p2 into the gorge every so often.