Root River Project in Lanesboro Draws Praise and Criticism

LANESBORO — In late May, scores of trees were cut down or left with the top 15 or so feet still standing along the Root River beginning several hundred feet below the Lanesboro Dam to near the Root River State Trail bridge.

For some people, it was the beginning of what had been planned for a few years to give people a better view of the river, improve the river for fish and give anglers better access, and allow the river to more easily reach its floodplain in times of flood.

For others, the sight of so many downed trees and large parts of the banks covered with straw came as a surprise. And what they thought about it varied widely.

Two sides of the issue were summed up rather well by people walking along the state trail near the river.

Aarick Raaen of Lanesboro walks along the River Trail in Lanesboro. He’s against a project to open up more views of the river. (Photo by John Weiss)

“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Aarick Raaen, as he was crossing the trail bridge. Raaen, who said he’s lived in Lanesboro 32 years, was clearly upset.

“Why did they remove all those good trees in town?” If they were diseased trees, sure, take them out, “but if they are in good shape, why get rid of them?” It looks more like a park.

“I like the trees but I don’t want it to get to the point where people don’t want to come here,” he said.

West of the bridge, Alysha Schoppers of Preston was pushing a stroller with son, Bowen, 1, in it. “We come to Lanesboro all the time,” she said. “We take this path and walk here all summer.” She wants to see the Root River.

Right now, small shrubs line the trail so it’s hard to see the river, but they will be taken out in a month or so.  “I do love seeing a view of the river,” Schoppers said.

Project was years in the making

The project has been planned for a few years and there have been public meetings, though some people said they weren’t aware of the project until trees were taken down.

The overall project, which will cost about $400,000, will be paid for by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund which gets money from a surcharge on the state sales tax, said Jenny Biederman, habitat program director for Minnesota Trout Unlimited that is coordinating the project. The project will go from a few hundred feet below the dam to the Coffee Street walking bridge.

What people see now is far from the final look, according to Biederman.

From July 6 through July 31, the trees with about 15 feet of trunk left will be ripped out and the trunks placed into the river’s edge with roots sticking into the water as a form of natural deflector to flood waters. They will be placed to be away from where people might paddle or tube and tops of roots will be shaved off. Some parts of the river will be narrowed.

Another goal is to reconnect more of the river to its floodplain so flood waters won’t be as high or as fast.

Trees with many feet of trunk remaining will have their trunks placed into the river bank with roots exposed as part of the overall Root River Project. (Photo by John Weiss)

There will be expanded access for fishing along much of the river and the steep bank with rocks will be covered with ground and seeded. Open areas will be planted with native plants, favoring pollinators.

Some trees will be left as bird habitat, and native trees, such as oaks, will be planted.

Finally, additional habitat will be added to the stream for bugs such as stoneflies or mayflies that trout or bass eat.

The project was approved unanimously last winter by the Lanesboro City Council (read our 2025 story: Proposed Lanesboro Riverfront Project Adds Access, Fishing and Trails).

It’s not expected to have much effect on those paddling or tubing, though there might be less shade in the project stretch, said Caleb Rissman, part owner of Lanesboro’s Root River Outfitters. The only problem would be if they leave debris in the river. It looks rough now but should be good with more hardwoods.

Parker Wangen, manager of Little River General Store that sells and rents bicycles in Lanesboro, said he hasn’t thought much about it. But those wanting to bike the trail do like to see water, he said. “People do come and they bike and they ask if there are trails by the water,” he said.

Jacob Asleson, 12, of Lanesboro, at right, and his nephew Ashton Polin, 7, of Rochester look for snakes or other wildlife below the Lanesboro dam. (Photo by John Weiss)

“I do enjoy the view,” said Kristen Asleson of Lanesboro, as she sat in a golf cart in an opening below the dam while her son, Jacob Asleson, 12, of Lanesboro and grandson, Ashton Polin, 7, of Rochester looked for snakes or frogs along the river. She likes seeing trees but also the river. “I think the river is beautiful as well.”

Asleson said she sees both sides of the issue but does value the river because her son and grandson love to look for wildlife or fish. She said she grew up in an outdoors-loving family and knows that the trees taken out, usually box elder, “are not the best for the area along the shoreline.”

Tim Sailer was walking his dog, Rufus, near the trail bridge and said he trusts that those doing the project know what they are doing. Trees will regrow in time and, he said, he likes the more open look of the river now. “All of a sudden there is a lot more dimension to the view of town,” he said.

Social media weighs in on the project

One place where many opinions have been shared is on the Watching Lanesboro Facebook page. Sheila Schultz posted: “So sad to me, all the trees gone along the Root River in Lanesboro. It will look like a park the worker said…we do not want a park, we want nature…or I do at least.”

There were over 120 thumbs-up posts at last count and 90 comments that ranged from complete thoughts for the project to short, strong, posts against it.

Signs along the project area give people a little more information about what it’s all about. (Photo by John Weiss)

Dan Dunleavy was for it, writing it will get rid of trees, “that do not benefit the ecosystem as much as other long-lived hardwood species, historically found by streams” in the region. It will increase accessibility to river and be safer for users.

“Things will look uglier before it gets better,” Dunleavy posted, “but if done correctly, maintained properly, this restoration project will be more beneficial to the habitat for fish, ground nesting birds and pollinators for generations.”

Charles Seha echoed him, saying the project “will be a great improvement to the natural and human ecology in the project area. Removing garbage trees and replacing with high value native trees and shrubs is a good long-term solution to improve the riparian area.”

But Ashley Wangen wrote: “So stupid. I knew the ‘restoration’ project was going to be a terrible idea. It’s all for tourism $$$.”

Jodi Olson wrote: “Did I read somewhere that it’s gonna be a ‘park’ area? All Lanesboro needs is more space for the citidiots to gather. Can hardly get through the town as it is.”

John Levell added: “So exactly how many federally protected pre-fledgling migratory birds should we assume will be destroyed when conducting an operation like this during the heart of the songbird nesting season?”

With work on the river project scheduled to wrap up later this summer, residents and visitors alike will have a better idea of what the long-term restoration looks and feels like by this fall.