Crews Prep Quarry Park For Future Ice Farming
Here's something you don't hear about everyday: Work crews will be on site at Quarry Park the week of April 26 to prep the site for future ice farming. The project will utilize volunteers with the Duluth Climbers Coalition - who will spend the week removing vegetation and clearing loose rock and debris in advance of the planned farming situation. The work is tied to the Quarry Park Mini Master Plan - which was approved in 2016 by the Duluth City Council.
An availability of funding has allowed the project to proceed with the necessary site preparations and infrastructure to farm ice along the rock wall. Visitors to Quarry Park should look for signs, safety notices, and changing conditions while the work is underway. The City of Duluth requests that observers view the work from a distance and avoid proximity t o the area of work where vegetation and debris could be falling.
So what exactly is ice farming? The process is the cultivation of ice formations that make for targeted climbing areas for outdoor adventurers. The plan to allow it to occur at Quarry Park passed the council vote back in 2016 - despite some concerns about water pressure in the area neighborhood. According to an article in the Duluth News Tribune, "[s]everal people who live in the area warned that ice farming plans at the park could worsen the already-low water pressure service they receive". At the time, utility officials with the City of Duluth reported no obvious concerns - sharing that the "ice-making operations would be confined to off-peak night-time hours" and it wouldn't be a problem for homeowners in the Cody neighborhood.
Quarry Park is located in Duluth - with public parking available at the top of 59th Avenue West - just off of Highland Street.
21 Places Every First-Time Tourist Goes To When Visiting The Twin Ports