The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) today released its environmental assessment of a project to remove decades-old legacy pollution from the Munger Landing area. The public is invited to review the environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) and provide comments. The EAW describes the project’s potential effects on the environment, including its impact on nearby land uses, geography, habitat, and historic sites. The EAW also details air and vehicle emissions, dust, traffic, and odors that the project might produce and describes the potential for temporary indirect impacts to sensitive ecological areas from operational noise and increased turbidity.

Throughout 2021, the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA) hosted a photo contest to celebrate the seasons and beauty of the largest U.S. river that flows into Lake Superior. The SLRA went on a mission to find striking digital images that highlight the diverse flora, wildlife and recreational activities that connect people to their natural habitat. Here are the winning photographs….

RECORDED ON 11/10/21

Learn about the progress made this past year toward delisting the St. Louis River Area of Concern at this year's virtual, annual Celebration of Progress. Recorded on: Wednesday, November 10 from 6-8 p.m.

This year's focus was on how habitat was created for Piping Plover and the Common Tern. Our special speakers were Matt Steiger (St. Louis River Area of Concern Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources), Gini Breidenbach (Restoration Program Manager for the Minnesota Land Trust) and Natalie White (Senior Biologist/Botanist Project Manager for SEH).

ST. LOUIS RIVER AREA OF CONCERN UPDATES: Munger Landing Closer 2022-2023

A contaminated sediment cleanup project is planned for the Munger Landing area, to remove approximately 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments in 2022-2023.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute have been monitoring bird activity on Interstate Island. With a combination of in-person surveys and a network of 16 trail cameras placed along the edge of the shoreline, they are able to document bird use of the island from spring through fall each year.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency have signed a $6 million agreement to address and clean up contaminated sediment in the Scanlon Reservoir in Scanlon, Minnesota. Slated to begin this fall, the project will employ new remediation technologies to improve the habitat for fish and wildlife.

ST. LOUIS RIVER AREA OF CONCERN UPDATE: Researchers at Duluth’s EPA lab completed a study that sheds light on what is (or isn’t) behind the slow recovery of Lake Sturgeon in the St. Louis River.

Click here to read more..

Scanlon Reservoir Sediment Remediation: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is distributing this Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for a 30-day review and comment period pursuant to the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) rules.

Here is a “birds eye” view of the completed habitat restoration at Interstate Island. The project was completed in late April.

52,624 cubic yards of dredged materials were beneficially reused to restore or enhance the colonial water bird nesting habitat!

Beginning at the end of June 2021, a portion of the Cross City Trail and adjacent city-owned land will be closed to accommodate work being done in the ponds behind Erie Pier.

Calling all amateur and professional photographers! We are looking for your portraits of wildlife, animal behavior, the relationship between people and nature, plant life, weather, seasons, recreation and harbor activities for our 2021 photo contest.

It’s an exciting time for a Common Tern who soon will return to its restored nesting site on Interstate Island after overwintering in South America. 

Last year, restoration began on Interstate Island to combat habitat loss that happened over recent years due to flooding and higher water levels. Next week JF Brennan Company will complete the construction aspects of the habitat restoration.

There are many remediation and restoration projects going on in the St. Louis River Area of Concern. This is especially important for paddlers and boaters on the River. The sites that should be avoided due to active construction this year (2021) are Kingsbury Bay, Grassy Point, and USS/Spirit Lake.

Spring is coming and big things are happening at the Ponds behind Erie Pier site in the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Trees are being cleared this week to prep the site for the remedial construction scheduled to begin in June.

There is some great field work anticipated for 2021! Check-out what is planned for the St. Louis River Area of Concern, both in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

EPA and MPCA announce $16 million sediment cleanup in the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Duluth, Minnesota

Calling all amateur and professional photographers! We are looking for your portraits of wildlife, animal behavior, the relationship between people and nature, plant life, weather, seasons, recreation and harbor activities for our 2021 photo contest.

The 2020 St. Louis River Area of Concern Remedial Action Plan (RAP) update is now available, incorporating stakeholders’ feedback we received on the draft shared recently. The document is available online here.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) remediation team is another step closer towards the cleanup of the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC). After evaluating options and gathering public input, MPCA has selected remedies for three SLRAOC contaminated sites: Scanlon Reservoir, Thomson Reservoir, and Mud Lake West.

Watch the recording of this years 2020 Celebration of Progress: St. Louis River Area of Concern. This year we learned about the St. Louis River Area of Concern projects that have been completed and those that are underway. The event was virtually hosted on Tuesday, November 17 from 6-8 p.m. via Zoom. This is a live recording of that event.