BEMIDJI — One of Bemidji’s most-visited parks is finally open to the public after a thorough cleanup from the June 21 storm.
The park lost more than 200 trees in the blowdown storm and was closed to the public as city crews and contractors worked to clean up the tree debris left behind.
Parks Superintendent Scott Schroeder said the park, while not quite the same as it was, is now fully operational.
“There were 224 trees removed, and then following that there were 224 stumps removed or ground — some were ground, some were pulled out," Schroeder said. "City staff has spent probably six to seven days, just kind of fine-tuning stuff in there to clean it up.”
Diamond Point has been repeatedly battered in windstorms, partially due to its peninsula-like point exposing it to multi-directional winds. But Schroeder has another theory: that decaying roots from trees knocked down in old windstorms remain intertwined with trees that still stand.
"When all these trees are so big with each other — you know how roots work, they run for a while," Schroeder opined. "It's an interesting little thing that I think someone from the DNR brought it up, that was like, 'This is the only thing we can think of of why this park keeps falling apart.'"
Schroeder said the park’s swimming area has been restocked with sand, and the department is working on securing grants to plant new trees.
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