Projects on the Horizon
Laurentian Lake
Can
one lake be all things to all people: developers, vacationers, year-round
residents, businesses, boaters, anglers and everyone else who loves the water
and lake views? When the lake is up to 25 miles long, it should!
Decades of
mining have reshaped the contours of the Central Iron
Range, creating
opportunities for reclamation projects that incorporate the best of the
region's natural attractions. The Laurentian Lake project proposes a carefully
reclaimed series of mine excavations
that will fill with spring water and rerouted water from active mines, creating
a vast waterway stretching from an area
northwest of Hibbing
down to the 169 corridor, encompassing both sides of the highway to form a
scenic causeway.
Planners
envision Laurentian Lake as a mecca for watersports enthusiasts and anglers,
where beaches and lakeshore living and resorts would abound. Working with the
Department of Natural Resources, the CIRI is preplanning aquatic habitat within
Laurentian Lake to encourage various types of sport fishing. For example, lake
floor contouring and plant life could be designed to support different fish
species in separate areas of the miles-long lake.
Interactive tours: The Vision For the Central Iron Range Mineland Transformed into Lake ShorePowerpoint Presentations: Mesabi Iron Range Hydrology (33MB)
