A visit to Coldwater Spring

I visited Coldwater Spring this week in Minneapolis. Coldwater Spring is the last natural spring in the city of Minneapolis, and was the site of much controversy during the building of the new Highway 55 which passes nearby. In the late 1990s, Camp Coldwater and the area near Coldwater Spring was the site of the largest urban occupation of land in recorded history in the United States. Through the many efforts of neighbors, the native community, and environmental activists, Coldwater Spring was preserved, and the original plans for the highway were revised to avoid the spring.

Though it was saved, the area has been under the control of the Bureau of Mines until recently. Now, the National Parks Service is both maintaining, improving, and preserving the site. Over the next few years they will be tearing down the old abandoned buildings and making way for a natural grassland prairie in the 43 acres around the spring. However, controversies still exist about public opinion of who should have control of Camp Coldwater.

Enjoy the photos on Flickr.

For more information:
Friends of Coldwater Spring
Preserve Camp Coldwater