Dock improvements slated for ‘gateway’ to Voyageurs Park

The northern Minnesota tourist town of Ranier has launched an environmental review of a project that would make a community dock and boat launch more accessible for a wider range of users.

The project is notable in part because Ranier is “situated at the confluence of Rainy Lake and Rainy River and is considered the gateway to Voyageurs National Park (VNP), Minnesota's only national park,” according to an environmental assessment worksheet released Tuesday.

In the EAW, the city noted that the project is needed to “accommodate the boats of all sizes, including personal watercraft and the more than 150 houseboats, sailboats and other larger vessels that are either privately or commercially owned on Rainy Lake.”

“The proposed dock will also provide continuity of public access to the shore and will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant,” the EAW continues. “The proposed project will also replace the existing boat launch adjacent to the existing dock with a sand surface soft launch area for canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, etc.,” the EAW notes.

An environmental review wasn’t required for the project, but City Administrator Sherril Gautreaux said Wednesday that the City Council opted to do a “discretionary” EAW. As part of the process, the city will take public comments on the project through Aug. 8.

Gautreaux said the project is being funded in part by $3.5 million in state bonding and grants from the Minnesota Environmental & Natural Resources Trust Fund.

The project needs to be finished by 2027, Gautreaux said.

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