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RICE CREEK NORTH REGIONAL TRAIL MASTER PLAN | 53 Appendix : Public Engagement Meeting 1 Figure 1.1 `Rice Creek North Regional Trail Master Plan Amendment 2018 Contact Information: 2015 Van Dyke Street Maplewood, MN 55109 PH: 651-748-2500 PG: 1 of 5 Date: 6-27-2018 Rice Creek Regional Trail Corridor Site Inventory & Analysis Rice Creek North Regional Trail is located in the northwest corner of Ramsey County in the cities of Shoreview, Arden Hills, Mounds View and New Brighton. The trail is 4 miles in length and is part of a 14-mile regional trail corridor that extends from the Chain of Lakes Regional Park Reserve to the Mississippi River by way of Long Lake Regional Park • Nearly 8 miles of trail from County Road J to the Rice Creek West Regional Trail • Rice Creek Water Trail/Boat Launch • 13-acre off leash dog area • 30 car parking lot at County Road I • Restrooms and drinking fountain Rice Creek North Regional Trail land cover consists of extensive floodplain wetland with scattered oak woods and savannas, mixed woods and converted prairies that have been established for over a decade. These prairie areas, mainly located from Lexington Avenue to Highway I, are maintained with prescribed burns. Invasive species have become widespread throughout the corridor and include reed canary grass in the wetlands and common and glossy buckthorn in most of the wooded areas. A forest habitat restoration project in the section south of County Road H to Long Lake Regional Park began in 2015 and is ongoing. This restoration includes removal of woody invasive species, mainly buckthorn, and seeding of native herbaceous grasses and forbs. Ongoing maintenance will include foliar spraying of buckthorn and periodic prescribed burns through the wooded areas. In addition to the habitat restoration projects, the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) has completed meandering restoration of the Rice Creek channel north of County Road I in early 2000’s and since 2015 RCWD has been meandering the channel south of County Road I to Interstate 35W. The creek through these areas was straightened in the early 1900’s to expand agricultural land and the meandering restoration projects will put the Creek back into its previous natural channel to regain the twists and turns to slow water, which will reduce stream bank erosion, sediment loading and increase aquatic life. Rice Creek is a popular canoe and kayak navigable waterway and is a designated water trail that spans through Anoka and Ramsey Counties. In addition to the Rice Creek Watershed District’s meandering project, they also complete water testing on the Creek and carp monitoring. In 2017, the RCWD installed a temporary carp barrier across Rice Creek, north of where the creek enters Long Lake. Future projects may include a permanent barrier at this location. The park hosts a diverse variety of wildlife. The park has a variety of nesting songbirds, waterfowl and raptors. Larger mammals include otter, coyotes, red fox, raccoons and white-tailed deer. Deer populations in the area are surveyed annually to determine the need and location for special archery hunts. Since 2015, the section of Rice Creek North Regional trail north of County road I has been the location for several special archery deer hunts, under the provisions of the Ramsey County Cooperative Deer Management Plan in partnership with the cities of Shoreview. The creek corridor is also home to numerous reptiles and amphibians, including the state threatened Blanding’s turtle. In 2014, emerald ash borer was discovered within a small isolated grove of ash trees in the northern section of the park and is currently being monitored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is currently using the Emerald Ash Borer site discovered within the park as a biological control survey location and will continue to monitor the site. BACKGROUND EXISTING AMENITIES NATURAL RESOURCES )*10 )*10 )*10 )*10 §¨¦35W §¨¦35W §¨¦35W §¨¦35W §¨¦35W ¡¤£¦3 ¡¤£¦50 ¡¤£¦1¡¤£¦1 ¡¤£¦50 ¡¤£¦50 ¡¤£¦3¡¤£¦3 ¡¤£¦9 ¡¤£¦77 ¡¤£¦96 ¡¤£¦96RiceCreekLong Lake Rice CreekCorporatePark Pond A Round Lake Rush Lake 880900890880 890880880900880880880890900 890900 900 8 90 8 8 0 880880880 88 0 870 8 7 0 870880890890890900 )*10 )*10 )*10 )*10 §¨¦35W §¨¦35W §¨¦35W §¨¦35W §¨¦35W ¡¤£¦3 ¡¤£¦50 ¡¤£¦1¡¤£¦1 ¡¤£¦50 ¡¤£¦50 ¡¤£¦3¡¤£¦3 ¡¤£¦9 ¡¤£¦77 ¡¤£¦96 ¡¤£¦96 Lexington Avenue North County Road ICounty Road I Pinewood Elementary Lambert Park Arden Hills DMV MNDOT Training and Conference Centers Shamrock Park Rice Creek Fields AHATS County Road H Irondale High School Edgewood Middle School Long Lake Regional Park Rice C r e e k W e s t Regi o n a l T r a i l Old Highway 81 2 38 9 9 4 5 6 7 POINTS OF INTEREST 1) Building 189: Building 189 has been identified as a potential site for repurposing the building for multiple uses including a trailhead facility, picnic and restroom location, parking, interpretive and educational uses, a large event space and satellite maintenance facility. The area surrounding Building 189 may host some of these uses as well as serve as an area of development for playgrounds, passive recreation, habitat restoration, stormwater mitigation and an improved trail access point. 2) MNDOT Arden Hills Training Center & Truck Station: MNDOT is in the midst of master planning for long term improvements to the current Arden Hills Training Center & Truck Station, expressing a need for additional training facility improvements. 3) County Road I: There is an opportunity for an improved vehicular access point from County Road I into a future development space surrounding Building 189. A new access point is proposed at the intersection of County Road I and Fairview Avenue North, this would likely occur during construction of an access road from County Road I to Building 189 4) Rice Creek Off Leash Dog Area: Master planning for Ramsey County Off Leash Dog Areas began in 2017 and was completed in 2018. The master plan addressed improvements to the Rice Creek Off Leash Dog Area and should be referred to for any future development of the area. 5) Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS): Ramsey County has a long term goal of opening AHATS for recreational use, the county will continue to coordinate with the Minnesota National Guard for access and potential use of the area. Potential uses could include passive recreation, multi-purpose trails, cross county ski and mountain biking trails, interpretive or educational programming etc. Additional development would be dependent on negotiations with the Minnesota National Guard for the pro- posed AHATS site. 6) Irondale High School: Irondale High School uses the southern section of the Rice Creek Regional Trail Corridor for cross country skiing and running training. An agreement has been established with Irondale for the maintenance of existing natural surface trails for school use. Improvements may be required in the future to continue providing a high quality experience for all. 7) Rice Creek Water Trail: The Rice Creek Water Trail offers a wide variety of paddling experiences for canoers and kayakers alike. The trail begins in Lino Lakes at the Peltier Lake boat launch and travels over 15 miles to Long Lake in New Brighton. Rice Creek flows through a variety of habitats and settings on its way to Long Lake, and paddling difficulty varies depending upon which section of the creek you are exploring. The upper part of the water trail makes its way through five lakes before narrowing into a creek. Anoka County Parks and Recreation staff leads occasional trips for beginners through this section of the water trail and rents kayaks for local paddling as well. 8) County Road I At-Grade Crossing: A planning study will be required to identify necessary improvement for the at-grade crossing over County Road I to provide safe passage. 9) Rice Creek Commons: Ramsey County development area of mixed-use development, 426 acres. LEGEND Rice Creek Regional Trail Major Road Connection Natural Surface Trail Parking Lot Small Watercraft Launch Restroom Building Off Leash Dog Area Rice Creek Water Trail Park Entrance Wetland Delineation Cross Country Ski Area Point of Interest Cross Country Ski Trails 4 Existing Land Cover Active Use Impervious Cultivated Conifers Floodplain Forest Mesic Forest Mixed Woods Oak Woods Old Field Prairie Remnant Prairie Savanna Shrub Swamp Tamarack Swamp Wetland Open Water