Brighton Beach becoming more sustainable and cost effective

Brighton Beach’s construction plan is an estimated $3.5 million dollars. However, Duluth’s Park and Recreation department are finding ways to reduce costs, and be more sustainable.

One of the ways Duluth’s Park and Recreation department are reducing costs is by reusing Brighton Beach’s current rocks and gravel. Mike Lebeau, the city of Duluth’s Construction Project Supervisor, explained the methods of repurposing Brighton Beach’s land.

“Not hauling in or out a lot of material here. We’re mostly moving stuff around and regrading it won’t look like much. You know we’re doing shoreline and regrading and reconstruction. We’ll be cleaning up some of the methods that were left behind.” Lebeau said.

Plants too close to Lake Superior will relocate to better survive flooding and storms. Some of these plants include trees like North Shore Spruce-Fir, White Cedar, shrubs like Juneberry and Minnesota’s state flower, the Lady’s Slipper.

Brighton Beach also had volunteers help with planting over one hundred Lady’s Slipper at the park too. For more information you can look at https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/ladys-slipper-transplanted/

“You know the Lakewalk didn’t exist here during those storms, the road was damaged. But it’s been damage year after year after year or storm after storm after storm since the last storm. It’s creating a broad pebble beach through that area. So we’re going to be creating a sort of boundary line between formal park development on the inland side of that and the beach that the lake will control.” Lebeau said.

There is plenty of support for extending the Lakewalk to Brighton Beach. There are non-profit organizations willing to help with maintaining the parks to help off-set the expected annual costs of $10,000.

Two organizations that help with Brighton Beach are the Friends of the Lakewalk and Friends of the Parks. The Friends of the Lakewalk is a non-profit volunteer organization support the completion of the Lakewalk from the Lift bridge to Brighton Beach and improving the Lakewalk’s condition and safety.

For more information you can look at their website at https://www.friendsofthelakewalk.org/.