Cleanup and repairs to area trails and parks continue after widespread damage from heavy rains in late June and early July.
Blue Earth County has lined up repairs to Red Jacket Trail as well as to trails in the nearby Red Jacket Park.
Joe Grabianowski, public works operations superintendent in Mankato, said city crews are concentratinge on getting trails reopened and on Sibley and Land of Memories parks.
“The trails are ongoing.”
A contractor has removed trees and large debris from the section of trail inside the flood wall that runs from Main Street to Riverfront Park. Grabianowski said the city is now starting to inspect the trail, although he said it doesn’t appear to have significant damage. The city will also inspect the trail nearer the North Star Bridge, which dips down lower and was covered with water.
A contractor is to clean up sediment on the trails at Kiwanis Park. The lower dog park at Kiwanis remains closed.
The ball-field side of Sibley Park remains closed after a coating of mud covered parking lots, roads and ball fields and lawns.
“We’re opening up parking lots and trails,” Grabianowski said. “We haven’t done a lot of other work on the park until we get further direction. A contractor is coming in to do some other work in the park.”
All of Land of Memories remains closed after water flooded the campground area.
“We have a considerable amount of electrical work to be done out there,” Grabianowski said. The city has received bids for the work.
Blue Earth County saw more than 100 different areas of damaged roads and/or trails, according to Jessica Anderson, communications manager and business analyst with the county.
She said repair of the popular Red Jacket Trail, from the trestle to just north of Rapidan, will take place when an excavator to do the repairs is available.
Several sloughed areas along the Red Jacket Trail have been repaired. The trail around the Red Jacket pond has also been repaired.
The county is waiting for a Department of Natural Resources response before it begins repairing the trail along the river in the Red Jacket Park.
There is still some cleanup to do on the trail under County Road 1 bridge.
The Rapidan campground was heavily damaged and future plans have not been determined. And the county is still assessing damages at Wildwood Park.