April 2024: St. Louis River Area of Concern Updates
The St. Louis River (SLR) was designated as one of the 31 Areas of Concern (AOC) on the Great Lakes. It was designated as an AOC under the U.S. – Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1987 because of significant impacts that occurred before modern environmental laws were in place. Following the SLRAOC Remedial Action Plan, state and federal agencies have been implementing management actions to address the legacy impairments. If you look, you can now see the work in progress throughout the SLRAOC: contractors are busy each construction season, plant and animal populations are rebounding, water is cleaner, and lost habitat is being restored.
Here are some current project updates, continue reading for further details:
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. For more information on the project, click HERE.
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. For more information and to submit a comment, click HERE.
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, by clicking HERE.
Management Action Progress Update
Photo credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
As of the 3/31/24 Progress Update, 72.5% of the management actions are complete. Since 9/30/23 tally, five more management actions have been substantially completed: the Munger Landing sediment remediation project, the removal of body contact restrictions at Munger Landing, and three tasks related to the study of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish. Seven remediation and eight restoration projects are underway, along with seven “other” tasks. More information HERE.
Superior Slips Sediment Remediation Feasibility Study
Map of Superior Slips Remediation Project Areas. Photo credit: AECOM
Public input opportunity!
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and its partners have reached a major milestone in a project to remediate environmental contamination in the Port of Superior. The Superior Slips Sediment Remediation Feasibility Study is complete, and a virtual public informational meeting is scheduled. Learn about the Superior slips project clean up options and provide your input by joining us for a public input meeting via Zoom on April 11, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Get details, find a link to join the meeting, and fill out our comment form on the WDNR website. The deadline for receiving comments is June 7, 2024.
The St. Louis River Area of Concern has been subject to pollution and habitat loss over many decades from heavy industrial use; the Superior Slips Sediment Remediation Feasibility Study focuses on characterizing contaminated sediment in three industrial slips and evaluating options to address it.
Based on its consultant’s evaluation, the WDNR is recommending options for removing contaminated sediment in the General Mills, Tower Avenue, and Oil Barge Dock Slips in the heart of the port. Investigations found high levels of toxic metals such as mercury and lead, dioxins, and coal particles among other chemical contaminants. The contaminants that pose the greatest human health and ecological risk were identified as focus areas, and their extents and distribution in the slips were mapped in three dimensions.
Alternatives to clean up the contaminants were screened for technical and economic feasibility – such as effectiveness, cost, and implementability. Clean up methods are recommended for each slip based on the scoring: mechanical dredging for the Oil Barge Dock and General Mills Slips and dredging and capping for the Tower Avenue Slip. The maximum amount of sediment will be removed without spreading contaminants further. The sediment will be barged to a management area, dried and stabilized before being trucked to a landfill. A total of 15,000 truckloads of material will be removed at a total cost of about $44 million!
Little Balsam Creek/Gandy Dancer Trail Culvert Replacement Project
Little Balsam Creek damaged and un-passable concrete box culvert on the Gandy Dancer Trail, Patzau, Wisconsin. Photo credit: Cedar Corps
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. For updates on the trail conditions, detours and closures please visit the Douglas County Forestry, Parks and Recreation website and view the current trail condition report. Trail report announcements can be obtained by calling (715) 378-4528. https://www.douglascountywi.gov/244/Recreational-Trails
Increased truck traffic will be seen in the area as material is hauled in and out of the project. The project is scheduled to be complete and trail to open prior to the 2024-2025 winter trail-riding season.
This project will remove the final fish passage barrier on Little Balsam Creek and open over 5 miles of Class 1 Trout Stream to habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species. The culvert restricts movement of brook trout and other species to access headwater habitat critical to their life cycle. The 315-foot-long railroad structure turned recreation trail was damaged in 2018 flood events and is being replaced by a bridge.
For more information on the project, visit: https://widnr.widen.net/s/khwbgfbkrc/gw_slr_littlebalsamcreekfishpassage
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. For more information and to submit a comment, click HERE.
Ponds Behind Erie Pier, Munger Landing, and Scanlon Reservoir
Spring is in the air. Crews will be out soon to conduct restoration activities at several these project sites in Minnesota: Ponds behind Erie Pier, Munger Landing, and Scanlon Reservoir. Please be mindful of staff who are out watering plants, treating invasive species, and making other site improvements, thank you.
Sediment Remediation in Minnesota: JF Brennan
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, by clicking HERE.
