There is a fishing dock, but little else to draw people to the river. Car and railroad bridges cross over the water. There are no walking trails. Near the inlet to Lake Bemidji there's an undeveloped lot on one side of the river, and the backside of a Pamida store on the other. At that time it was not important.
Economic development is what it was all about.
I really think that, until recently, the river has been forgotten. If you look at the short portion of the river that's within our city limits, it's a disgrace right now. It has been used for railroad crossing and has never been kept up, and it's not a pleasant place today for people to go and reconnect with the river. The goal, according to member Ann Sliney, was to create a sense of environmental responsibility and reconnect the community to its river heritage. Bemidji, Minnesota, where the hardy do survive.