September 2022: SLR 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:
40th Ave. West Habitat Restoration | Biomedium is being added to spur the recovery of bottom-dwelling plants and invertebrates
Wild Rice Restoration | Approx. 500 pounds manoomin, or wild rice, was reseeded in Kingsbury Bay
Scanlon Reservoir | In-water remedial construction will be completed by 9/17
Kingsbury Bay Celebration Event | held on September 12th to celebrate the completion of the Kingsbury Bay & Grassy Point habitat restoration projects.
Redesigned Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Website | Launched on September 12th, view here
40th Avenue West
History
To create the Duluth-Superior harbor, shallow coastal marsh areas were either dredged to create deeper ship channels and slips or filled to create piers and other lands where buildings could be constructed.
Habitat Restoration Project
Underwater shoals (left; gold areas) were constructed in 2017 and 2018 to restore shallow, sheltered bay habitat at the 40th Ave West project site.
To spur the recovery of bottom-dwelling plants and invertebrates, natural biomedium was recovered from Kingsbury Bay in 2020 and placed in a six-inch layer on top of the westernmost shoal and the southern half of the easternmost shoal. This year, “manufactured” biomedium is being added. Clean and fine sediment (dredged from the Superior Entry) is mixed with seeds of eight aquatic plant species and then broadcast in a six-inch layer on top of the remaining shoals. Learn More
Wild Rice Restoration @ Kingsbury Bay
On September 14th, 2022 the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA) in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), planted approx. 500 pounds of manoomin (Ojibwe name for wild rice) in the St. Louis River Estuary. This was the 7th year SLRA has had the opportunity to participate in these restoration efforts.
During this time volunteers learned about manoomin ecology, cultural significance and restoration in the St. Louis River and reseeded the wetlands in Kingsbury Bay for reestablishment. In the past, seed has been replanted around Clough Island.
The Manoomin Restoration Partnership - St. Louis River Estuary; which includes Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, St. Louis River Alliance and additional tribal partners and non-profits; are seeking to restore at least 275 acres of wild rice by 2025. Visit WDNR’s website for more information on the AOC or https://youtu.be/qjgW7SVNrxg to see a short video highlighting the recent work to restore Manoomin. Learn More
Scanlon Reservoir
The in-water remedial construction at the Scanlon Reservoir will be completed by 9/17! The contractors have successfully placed the activated carbon amendment over 13.5 acres of sediment within the reservoir that had been contaminated with dioxins and furans. Project work will continue this fall and into next spring with upland site restoration and re-vegetation.
The MPCA and EPA are grateful to the entire project team for keeping this Great Lakes Legacy Act project running smoothly. In the photo to left, a drone captured the equipment arrangement that was needed to precisely apply the amendment. Learn More
Kingsbury Bay Celebration Event
On September 12th, Sarah Strommen, the Commissioner of the MN Department of Natural Resources, was in Duluth to celebrate the completion of the Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point habitat restoration projects. Amy Pelka, Section Chief at the Great Lakes National Program Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, was also present to explain how funds from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative helped make this project possible. Other speakers included Duluth Mayor Larson, Duluth Council member Terese Tomanek, and Charlie Wooley, Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Speakers on the new Kingsbury Bay fishing pier (from left to right): MNDNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, USFWS Regional Director Charlie Wooley, Duluth Mayor Larson, GLNPO Section Chief Amy Pelka, and Duluth Councilor Terese Tomanek.
Redesigned MPCA Website
The MPCA’s newly redesigned and reorganized website will launch the week of September 12th. Check out the new St. Louis River Area of Concern pages and send your feedback to barbara.huberty@state.mn.us.
