November 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 November St. Louis River Area of Concern project updates.
Contractor demobilization at Thomson Reservoir. Photo credit: USACE
Thomson Reservoir
2024 construction has ended at the Thomson Reservoir. 8,100 tons of powdered activated carbon pellets were placed in the reservoir to address contaminated sediments. Construction crews will remobilize to the site in May 2025, with project completion scheduled for November 2025.
For more information on this project, click here.
Children paddling in the estuary in a voyageur canoe. Photo credit: Blake Cazier.
Body Contact Restrictions Removal
Once remedies were complete at Munger Landing & Spirit Lake, MPCA investigated site conditions & determined, with help from the MN Dept. of Health, that body contact restrictions are no longer needed. Safety hazards unrelated to pollution still exist, so before your river activity, please learn about them.
For more information, go to:
Little Balsam Creek channel restoration at the new Gandy Dancer Trail bridge; the erosion control measures will be removed from the stream in November. Photo credit: WDNR.
Little Balsam Creek Fish Passage
A new video highlights fish passage restoration in Patzau, WI, explaining the benefits for people & fish. When the installation of the new Gandy Dancer Trail, the 4 projects built from 2019-2024 have opened over 5 miles of Class 1 Trout Stream. Until it is opened, visit the trail’s detour information.
For more information on this project, click here.
Image provided by St. Louis River Alliance.
River Memories
Did you live near or recreate in the St. Louis River before 1978? Please share your memories of what it was like before the SLRAOC’s projects started with barbara.huberty@state.mn.us. Most people experiencing the river today can’t imagine the changes and we don’t want to forget how far we’ve come.
