Minnemishinona Falls Ceremony

Today, at 2 pm the county board will hold a short program- sort of a "grand opening" for the Minnemishinona Falls Scenic Byway. There has been some publicity in one of the metro papers about Nicollet County obtaining ownership of the falls. There is agreement among many that it is right and proper for the county to preserve this natural resouce and allow the public to safely view this scenic area.
It is a scenic byway. The area is not conducive to other activities. Nicollet County already has a large park at 7-Mile Creek that is well used. The falls area is meant to be a place to visit for a short time period - to view, relax, and enjoy the wonders of nature.
Citizens are concerned about the cost, and rightly so. The falls has come into county ownership with very little cost to the taxpayers. The following is a breakdown.

• Total purchase cost $330,000 (3 acres and the falls)
• $264,000 Federal Enhancement Funds designated by MnDot District 7 Area Transportation Partnership
• $50,000 grant from Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation
• $16,000 DNR Local Grants Program

The costs have mainly come from our staff time in obtaining grants and doing applications for funding and documenting how the money was spent. There will be future costs of mowing and maintaining the area. These will be on-going.

The Falls is located on Nicollet County Road 41, just west of North Mankato. end