July 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.
Continue reading for July St. Louis River Area of Concern project updates.
Photo: Additional seeding maintenance is performed along the Delta Upland Cap trail. Photo provided by EPA.
Spirit Lake/US Steel Remediation
Final construction and habitat restoration activities are underway. The new walking trails were opened to the public on July 10th. The site’s body contact restrictions have been removed.
For more information on this project, click here.
Photo: This graphic shows the no-access construction area (orange) and the area that will remain open to the public (green). Graphic provided by JF Brennan.
Thomson Reservoir Remediation
Site preparations at this contaminated sediment remediation site are underway. Look for changes to the parking area. Equipment should arrive onsite in August so initial placement of the activated carbon amendment can happen in September & October.
For more information on this project, click here.
Photo: This new highway culvert will improve flows between Perch Lake and the St. Louis River. Photo provided by MNDNR.
Perch Lake Habitat Restoration
The new Hwy 23 culvert has been installed & 2-way traffic restored. This fall, the old railroad grade will get an opening and a pedestrian bridge to revitalize the connection between the restored lake & the St. Louis River, allowing aquatic organisms and paddlers to move between these waterbodies.
For more information on this project, click here.
Photos: Excavation of the old Gandy Dancer Trail culvert. Photo provided by WDNR.
Little Balsam Creek Fish Passage
Excavating the old culvert & installing bank habitat structures are underway at the Gandy Dancer Trail crossing of Little Balsam Creek in Patzau, WI. A new culvert will remove the last fish passage barrier to reconnect 5 miles of Class 1 Trout stream. The trail remains closed here during the project.
Photo: The new shelter by the new Bear Creek Trail. Photo provided by WDNR.
Howards Bay Remediation
The City of Superior has completed the Makwa Ziibiins Miikana (Bear Creek Trail) connection & shelter improvements on the closed Wisconsin Point Landfill. Material used to repair the landfill cap & the shelter structure were provided by the Howards Bay remediation project & installed by the City.
For more information on this project, click here.
Graphic: Drowning hot spots. Graphic credits: Google and University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Study of Drowning Incidents in the St. Louis River and Estuary
Staff from UMD-NRRI, MN Sea Grant, UW-Madison completed a study of drowning incidents in the St. Louis River Estuary. Their incident characterization, forecasts, and risk communication findings can be seen in a story map and a model that shows the interplay of river and seiche currents.
For more information on this project, click here and here.
