Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Riverbank Reconstruction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Morrison County Historical Society updates Little Falls City Council on riverbank reconstruction and archaeological finds
Summary
The Morrison County Historical Society told the Little Falls City Council the riverbank reconstruction is about 80–85% complete, delayed by archaeological surveys requested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; tribal representatives recovered artifacts including what Worcester described as a "2,000-year-old fully formed Arrow Point."
Camila Warzeka and Mike Worcester of the Morrison County Historical Society updated the Little Falls City Council on the Riverbank Reconstruction Project, reporting the work is roughly 80–85% complete and outlining remaining tasks and a tentative timetable.
Worcester said the project, which received an LCCMR grant and a 2023 legislative appropriation of $700,000 attributed in the update to "Representative Krisha," encountered "unfortunate delays" largely because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required extended archaeological surveying in coordination with the Max Band of the Ojiway Tribal Historic Preservation Office. "It was estimated to be a 2,000-year-old fully formed Arrow Point," Worcester said when describing one of the recovered artifacts.
The presenters said the effort combined multiple funding pots and simultaneous work streams: hillside excavation and rebuilding, installation of vegetation, fencing, restoration of a berm and a new parking lot, plus separate building work funded by the legislative appropriation. They said the roof work tied to the appropriation was completed within about 10 days and that contractors previously mobilized effectively despite hard soils that required special equipment. The contractor named in the update was Sunramm Excavating of Excelsier.
Worcester walked the council through how crews layered the slope using MSE fabric between lifts and then sown vegetation to create a more durable slope than a traditional retaining wall, an approach presenters said costs more up front but reduces maintenance over time. He said the project team hopes the remaining excavation and rebuilding work can be completed in 30–45 days if weather and road restrictions cooperate, with an overall target of late May to early June for the next milestones.
On artifact handling, Worcester said recovered points and shards are currently in the possession of the Max Band for evaluation to determine whether any finds are potentially sacred or funerary; material the tribe does not retain will be returned to the Historical Society. The presenters emphasized the work has involved tribal representatives and archaeologists on site during excavation.
The council did not take formal action during the work session. The chair adjourned the special meeting at 7:21 p.m. and reconvened for the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m.
The Historical Society invited council members and the public to view photos and time-lapse videos of the work and to contact the museum for tours or further information.
