Opinion: Extreme weather requires adaptation, but the work is getting harder

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High Falls at Tettegouche State Park is one of the most recognizable views along the North Shore. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimates half a million people stop at the park a year, many making the short hike to see the Baptism River cascade down toward Lake Superior.

But this area has been hit hard by heavy precipitation in recent years. In the spring of 2022, back-to-back storms and rapid snowmelt caused lakes and streams across the Arrowhead to quickly swell. At High Falls, churning waters topped the iconic pedestrian bridge spanning the river’s banks, impacting the structure and stretching the cables holding it in place.

Then, before the DNR could begin repair work, rains came again. Last June, torrential downpours in northeastern Minnesota brought up to 7 inches to some locations in less than eight hours. The area was already primed for flooding after one of the wettest springs on record. This time, at High Falls, the Baptism River dislodged the pedestrian bridge fully from its moorings, pushing it against the shore downstream.

Extreme weather events like these are not going away. Regional climate models from the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, where we work, suggest northeastern Minnesota could see a more than 20% increase in the number of spring days with precipitation over an inch by the 2040s — in as few as 15 years from now — relative to 1995-2014.

Aware of this reality, the DNR is rebuilding with an eye toward the future — more resilient to floods. At Tettegouche, when the new High Falls bridge opens later this year, it will be almost 5 feet higher, farther away from floodwaters’ reach.

This isn’t just climate-smart planning; it’s also budget-smart. The DNR’s estimate for bridge repairs after the 2022 flooding was approximately $260,000. The new bridge will cost about $880,000. Its higher elevation will allow for an up to 500-year water flow to pass below it, reducing the potential that it will need to get rebuilt (and refinanced), again and again.

This is not a new strategy for the agency. After severe rains in 2007, for example, staff decided to move an entire campground at Whitewater State Park to higher ground, recognizing the possibility of floodwaters surprising sleeping campers overnight.

But this kind of smart planning just got harder to do.

That’s because, for more than three decades, it has been supported by FEMA programs aimed not just at rebuilding, but at preventing future damage. These programs backed climate adaptation and resiliency efforts like buying out flood-prone properties, installing permanent flood barriers, and even simply enforcing local building codes after a disaster. But with the change in federal administration, this funding has become increasingly tenuous.

So, where does this leave the state?

We can look to another State Park: Soudan Mine, just north of the Iron Range. There, visitors can take one of the most unique tours available in Minnesota — loading into an elevator shaft and traveling almost half a mile underground into the depths of a mine that operated from 1882 through 1962. Or at least, that used to be possible.

The same recent rain events that wreaked havoc along the North Shore sent floodwaters churning into the underground mine. In 2022, rains overwhelmed the pump system that sends water from the bottom of the mine to the surface. Then last year, flooding not only took out the pumps, but also the electrical system and alarm to alert staff that things were going awry. It took the DNR until this past October — four months later — to even get back in to assess the damage. Tours are still suspended.

Until the recent changes at the federal level, the DNR had been looking at significant upgrades to improve resilience at the mine. Now — though some improvements will still be made — Stacy Smith, with the agency’s Parks and Trails Division told us, “We’re really scaling back what will be feasible.”

Even as federal support becomes unreliable, it’s imperative we acknowledge the challenges we face from extreme and evolving weather patterns across Minnesota, and plan for that new reality. Doing so is fiscally responsible. It’s also the only way to protect our access to the things we love most: hiking and scenic views along Lake Superior, a safe night’s sleep under the stars, and experiences that highlight our state’s economic and cultural history.

Britta Greene and Heidi Roop are with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, where Roop serves as director and Greene as a climate communications specialist.