November 2022: SLR Area of Concern Updates

Nov 14

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:

2022 Manoomin Restoration | St. Louis River Area of Concern partners collected 8,057 pounds of wild rice & distributed it in 58 acres of shallow bay habitat.
Perch Lake Updates | Hemi-marsh has been created to benefit marsh birds at Perch Lake.
Management Action Status | As of September 30th, 51 of the 80 management actions have either been completed or determined that no further action is necessary.
Celebration of Progress Event | This annual event was held on November 10th, 2022, updates and presentation links are below.

2022 Manoomin Restoration

*Photo Credit: WI Department of Natural Resources*

Season Updates

The 2022 Manoomin restoration season was a success! Thanks to all the SLRAOC partners that collected 8,057 lbs of wild rice & distributed it in 58 acres of shallow bay habitat. This will be a big boost after the 2021 drought season netted <1,000 lbs. Watch for more wild rice emergence next spring!

The St. Louis River Wild Rice Restoration Project aims to restore healthy, harvestable wild rice stands and improve habitat for fish, wildlife, and other species in the estuary. Successful wild rice restoration also supports the removal of BUI 9: Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat.

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History of the Project

Wild rice, or Manoomin in Ojibwe, plays a vital role in the culture, livelihood, and identity of the Ojibwe people. Manoomin harvest is part of a long-standing tradition in Ojibwe communities and the St. Louis River Estuary is culturally important because of the historic presence of vast wild rice resources that provided food, community connection, and opportunities for the intergenerational transfer of traditional ecological and cultural knowledge.

Historically, the estuary sustained an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 acres of wild rice - one of the richest concentrations in the region. However, industrial development, pollution, logging, and other activities over the past 125 years reduced the extent of Manoomin to a few remnant stands.

The Wild Rice Restoration Implementation Plan for the St. Louis River Estuary was completed in 2014 in cooperation with partners. The plan identified sites in the river that offer the best opportunities for successful restoration. The goal is to restore at least 275 acres over the next 10 years to provide habitat and opportunities for wild rice harvest. This target represents the first step in a longer term goal of restoring wild rice to a greater abundance and distribution throughout the estuary.

Perch Lake Project

Hemi-marsh has been created to benefit marsh birds at Perch Lake! This type of wetland (an open water/emergent plant mix) was made by dredging channels through a dense wetland and building adjacent mounds to increase plant diversity.

Learn More

Management Action Status

Every 6 months, a report of St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) progress is sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

As of September 30th, 51 of the 80 management actions have either been completed or determined that no further action is necessary. That means we are 63.8% of the way to being able to apply for delisting! This important work would not be underway without the support of the community members.

Celebration of Progress Event

Thank you to everyone who came out to our 2022 Celebration of Progress event on November 10th, 2022. We had three incredible speakers share updates related to the St. Louis River Area of Concern. You can click the images or links below to view their full presentations.