Join the St. Louis River Alliance and UMD Recreation Sports Outdoor Program (RSOP) for an afternoon of exploring the newly designated St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail! On Sunday, August 4th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. we will paddle along towering white pines on steep clay embankments, passing lily pads in bloom and birds basking in their summer quarters. Come see, smell, and hear the flora and fauna who call the estuary home.

We will meet at the UMD Boat Shed on Park Point, 1421 St. Louis Avenue, Duluth, MN 55802. After packing up our gear, we will caravan to Woodstock Bay Landing, and then paddle to Dwight’s Point for lunch. Bring your own bottled water and bagged lunch.

REGISTRATION IS NECESSARY.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for May:

• Munger Landing: The boat launch and parking lots will be temporarily closed from May 13th through May 23rd when crews will be onsite completing final paving and site restoration activities. The boat landing and parking lots are currently open and will remain open through opening fishing weekend.

• Perch Lake: Habitat restoration resumes in early May. The DNR is installing a 12x16 ft culvert under Hwy 23 to reconnect the lake to the St. Louis River. Drivers can expect a temporary single lane bypass. Work is expected to last about one month.

• Superior Slips: This project’s sediment remediation feasibility study is open for public comment until June 7th. The presentation from the April public informational meeting is posted on the WDNR website. Visit the website to view it, get additional details, and fill out the comment form.

• Little Balsam Creek: A section of the Gandy Dancer Trail in Patzau, WI will be detoured from May to November to replace a culvert and install a bridge. This will remove the final fish passage barrier on Little Balsam Creek and open over 5 miles of Class 1 trout stream.

• Pickle Pond: The final season of remediation and habitat restoration work at Pickle Pond will begin in May. Crews will restore upland areas and plantings through July. Stormwater infrastructure at the pond will be improved later in the summer. A portion of Marina Dr. will be closed during the work.

• Water Safety Tips: Do you swim, paddle, hunt waterfowl, fish, sail or pleasure cruise on the St. Louis River? If you do this fact sheet will help you prepare to enjoy the river safely.

• Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Thank you to everyone who played along for the ‘Recreating in the St. Louis River: A Virtual Scavenger Hunt’. This was a great tool to explore the river and learn about recreational resources available to help get people on the water. 20 participants successfully complete the quiz and will receive $20 Super One gift card!

Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Wednesday, June 12th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. for a volunteer clean up event along Billings Drive in Superior, Wisconsin! Come when you want and stay as long (or as little) as you'd like. Please check in with SLRA staff at the Superior Municipal Forest Disc Golf Lot (directions below). We will collect litter from the Disc Golf course all the way to Highway 105.

Our partners at the City of Superior will provide garbage bags, pickers, and buckets. Please bring your own gloves if you have them and dress for the weather and the job! And don’t forget your water bottle…

The St. Louis River Alliance and the Duluth Audubon Society are teaming up again to bring you an incredible experience along the St. Louis River! Join us on Wednesday, June 5th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. for our Beginner Birding and Bird Identification River Connection Field Event hosted on the Waabizheshikana Trail in Duluth.

During this event, attendees will be introduced to the basics of birding along the St. Louis River. Experts from the Duluth Audubon Society will lead the discussion on techniques to locate, identify, and observe birds, as well as guide attendees in the use of bird-spotting equipment such as binoculars and spotting scopes.

Space is limited and we ask experienced birders to leave this opportunity open for those who have not had the chance to get out and bird. Registration is necessary; please register by May 29th at 4 p.m.

View the 2024 The St. Louis River: A Virtual Tour of Recreation Opportunities (PDF) Originally presented by Melissa Sjolund, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Matthew Steiger, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on April 23, 2024.

View the Powerpoint to learn where you can recreate within the estuary and the cleanup efforts that have made it possible.

Thank you to all of the St. Louis River Area of Concern agency partners for your work in making this year's Celebration of Progress engaging and educational!

We had over 100 community members come out to our 'The St. Louis River: A Virtual Tour of Recreation Opportunities' to learn about where you can recreate on the river, along with the cleanup efforts that have made it possible. We could not have done it without the incredible non-profits, retailers, and other organizations that showed up to table. THANK YOU ALL!

Join the adventure and win a prize! The St. Louis River Alliance and Area of Concern partners are excited to share 'Recreating in the St. Louis River: A Virtual Scavenger Hunt'.

Explore hidden gems of the St. Louis River with a virtual scavenger hunt uncovering the many exciting recreational opportunities along the river. Be one of the first twenty participants to correctly answer the 20 multiple choice questions and you’ll win a $20 Super One gift card. All other participants will be entered to win one of five complementary 1-year memberships to the St. Louis River Alliance.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for April:

• Management Action Progress Update: As of 3/31/24, 72.5% of the management actions are complete. Since the tally on 9/30/23, five more management actions have been substantially completed.

• Superior Slips Sediment Remediation Feasibility Study: The Superior Slips Sediment Remediation Feasibility Study is complete, and a virtual public informational meeting is scheduled via Zoom on April 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm.

• Little Balsam Creek/Gandy Dancer Trail Culvert Replacement: Construction will be starting soon to replace a stream crossing on the Gandy Dancer Trail. This section of trail in Patzau, WI will be closed for the duration of the project and detoured.

• AGP/Northland Slip: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency invites you to comment on the amended decision summary for the AGP/Northland Slip in Duluth. The comment period ends April 29th.

• Ponds behind Erie Pier, Munger Landing, and Scanlon Reservoir: Spring is in the air. Crews will be out soon to conduct restoration activities at these project sites in Minnesota.

• Thomson Reservoir: JF Brennan has been awarded the contract for the Thomson Reservoir contaminated sediment remediation project in Minnesota. Learn more about this project in Chapter 4 of the St. Louis River Area of Concern Story Map.

Open water on the river means paddle season is right around the corner! We are gearing up by distributing National Water Trail maps throughout the Twin Ports.

Are you a local business or organization interested in being a distribution location? Please fill out the following form so we can coordinate a map drop-off/pick-up.

Distribution Location Form: https://tinyurl.com/2024-NWT-Maps

Join the St. Louis River Alliance and partners for a virtual tour of accessible Area of Concern project sites and connect with recreational experts on where to go and what you can do along the river!

This year's St. Louis River Area of Concern Celebration 'The St. Louis River: A Virtual Tour of Recreation Opportunities' will be on Tuesday, April 23rd at Clyde Iron Works (2920 W Michigan Street, Duluth) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Area of Concern Coordinators will be there to answer your questions, and Superior and Duluth recreational businesses and organizations will have tables at the event to help get you connected and geared up. All are welcomed and encouraged to come ask questions.

This event is free and open to the public. Come enjoy free pizza and thoughtful conversations! We will also be sharing information on how you can become eligible to win a prize by participating in a fun “Recreating in the St. Louis River: A Virtual Scavenger Hunt”.

NOW HIRING! The St. Louis River Alliance is hiring seasonal Piping Plover Monitors to help monitor and record bird activity on Wisconsin & Minnesota Point.

The monitor season is from April 25th-June 15th and staff will work 20-30 hours per week. Formal office training will be held on Thursday April 25th, and on site monitor training is scheduled for Friday April 26th (weather dependent). In the event that nesting behavior occurs, positions may be extended until August 31st.

Please send your cover letter and resume to Mikayla Erickson at projectleader@stlouisriver.org to be considered for the position.

Click here for the full job description.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for March:

• Superior Slips: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is recommending options for removing contaminated sediment from the Superior Slips. Learn about the Superior slips and provide your input at a public meeting via Zoom on April 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm.

• C. Reiss Slip and Dock: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, C. Reiss Co., and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is partnering on a Great Lakes Legacy Act project to clean up contaminated sediment.

• Paddling in the Estuary this Summer: Check out this updated map before paddling this summer, to ensure you can avoid this year’s Area of Concern Projects. Click HERE for the map.

• Field Work Season: Many field work projects will be underway during this field season. Click HERE for the handout showing you where, and when the work is planned in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

• Save the Date: Plan on taking a virtual tour of our accessible project sites and getting information from recreational experts during our 2024 Celebration of Progress, Tuesday April 23rd. This event will take place at Clyde Iron Works, from 5:30-7:30 pm.

The warmer weather lets us know we are not far from construction season... If you are planning to be out in the estuary this year, you may see some work at St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) project sites. Plans for this year are highlighted on the attached 2024 Field Work and contacts documents. Click the images below for downloadable PDF.

More information and resource links can be found at: https://www.stlouisriver.org/area-of-concern

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Ice Safety River Connection Event on February 17th at Spirit Lake Marina! We had a great time learning how to measure ice thickness, how to drill a hole through the ice, and how to practice self-rescues if we were to ever fall in. After the hands-on lessons, we joined as a group by the fire to roast marshmallows, drink hot chocolate, and socialize.

A huge thank you to our partners at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for leading the safety discussion and activities, and Barb Huberty with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) for sharing about the St. Louis River Area of Concern work and answer questions on safe fishing and access points. This event was funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and we are extremely grateful for their support in all of the current and future River Connection events.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for February:

• Munger Landing: Removal of contaminated sediments at Munger Landing in Minnesota and Wisconsin is complete!

• 2023 Remedial Action Plan: The Remedial Action Plan for 2023 has been finalized and will be posted on February 9th, to both the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.

• Save the Date! The 2023 Celebration of Progress will be held on April 23, 2024 at Clyde Iron Works.

• In January, the Environmental Protection Agency approved $455,000 in environmental justice funding for the City of Duluth for multiple projects to improve access at four St. Louis Area Of Concern sites!

• St. Louis River Summit: You can learn more about the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) progress at the 2024 St. Louis River Summit. This event will be held on March 6th through March 8th, located at the UW-Superior Yellowjacket Union. More information HERE.

Join us in welcoming Jessie Peterson to the St. Louis River Alliance Board of Directors! For Jessie, access to clean water, air, and land have always been an integral part of health and well-being. Serving on the Board of the St. Louis River Alliance provides the opportunity to engage, connect, and inspire community members to experience the joy that comes from an afternoon spent along a thriving river system.

Learn more about her!

With plenty of open water, it is clear that paddle season is right around the corner!

For those that plan to explore any of the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trails this year, please take a look at the attached Paddlers Awareness handout that shows where current Area of Concern project efforts could interfere with your paddling plans. Be sure to reference it before you launch to avoid active remediation and restoration projects. If you see yellow turbidity curtains in the water, that is a sure sign to stay out.

FULL EVENT

Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Saturday February 17th, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM for ‘Ice Safety: A River Connection Field Event’ hosted at Spirit Lake Marina & RV (121 Spring St, Duluth, MN 55808).

Do you know how to check if the ice is safe for walking, skating or ice fishing? Join conservation officers and ice safety experts from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for fun activities and ice safety lessons. Learn how to measure ice thickness and check the quality of the ice!

During this family friendly outdoor field event, attendees will have a chance to explore the beauty of the outdoors and learn important measures to stay safe on the ice. This event will be hands-on and a ton of fun! A bonfire, hot chocolate and marshmallows will keep everyone warm during this event. Please carpool if you are able.

This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Attendance will be on a first come, first served basis. Please register by February 9th at 4 p.m. by clicking below.

Registration Form: Click Here for Registration Form

Job Opportunity!

The St. Louis River Alliance is hiring a National Water Trail Coordinator. Click here for the full job description. Applications are due on February 23rd.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for January:

• 2023 Remedial Action Plan: Share your input on the St. Louis Area of Concern’s draft of the 2023 Remedial Action Plan. The Remedial Action Plan (RAP), and directions for comments can be found using the link below. More information HERE.

• St. Louis River Summit: Learn more about the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) progress at the 2024 St. Louis River Summit. This event will be held on March 6th through March 8th, located at the UW-Superior Yellowjacket Union. Registration opens in January, with a detailed agenda to come in February. More information HERE.