The greenway that runs along the Red River and Red Lake River through East Grand Forks is the most visible legacy of the catastrophic 1997 flood, when the river crested at nearly 17 metres above flood stage and inundated most of the city. Entire neighborhoods were bought out and cleared rather than rebuilt, and the land was converted into a 22-kilometre corridor of parkland, trails, and open space that now wraps around the city.
The result is genuinely impressive — a wide paved trail system connecting the two rivers, with picnic areas, boat launches, and views across the Red River to Grand Forks. The confluence of the Red Lake River and the Red River, right at the edge of downtown, is the geographic and emotional centre of the greenway. In spring the rivers run fast and high; in summer the trail is busy with cyclists and joggers. The greenway also functions as a flood-protection berm: the low hills and berms along the river are not just landscaping but the first line of defence against the next big flood.