Whose view? From where? — October 2013

Eric Otterness took a run at this one and came up with an answer that is very close to the right place. He wrote, These are some small islands near the foot of Grey Cloud Island. I have seen them like this when they are covered with purple flowers. I do not know what kind of flowers they are but it is a beautiful area and feels very remote.

These floodplain islands are located in Spring Lake on the west side of the river (Grey Cloud is on the east side). The photo was taken several years ago from the western end of Spring Lake Regional Park (also known as the youth camp and/or archery range) in Rosemount. This area of the river is just south of Pine Bend, where the river opens up into expansive lakes lined with small islands and beautiful bluffs. The purple flowers are pretty, but alas, they are the invasive species purple loosestrife that tends to invade shorelines and out-compete native species.

About Whose view? From where?

Each month in this section, we feature a photo somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant or important or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. Well publish some of your responses in the next issue of Mississippi Messages, where we will also reveal the correct answer.

To submit your guess and response, e-mail Bob Spaulding, River Advocate, through our contact form. The respondent to provide the first correct identification of the view and hopefully some interesting thoughts about its significance will receive a valuable prize for their effort. All entries must be received by the first day of the following month for consideration.