Here is an interesting graphic and article on AOC spending throughout the Great Lakes published by Canadian Geographic.

Check it out: https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/a-multination-effort-to-restore-the-great-lakes-a-watershed-moment/

Join the St. Louis River Alliance and AOC Partners for our Annual Celebration of Progress on Thursday, November 10th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth, Minnesota

Many St. Louis River construction projects have been completed or are underway. You are invited to come learn about the progress made this past year towards delisting the St. Louis River as an Area of Concern (AOC). This event is free and open to the public. Come enjoy some food, a cash bar, and great conversation with local Area of Concern coordinators! Our keynote speaker will be sharing updates on the Spirit Lake Cleanup - this is a great opportunity to come ask your questions

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.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for September 2022, continue reading for further details:

• 40th Ave. West Habitat Restoration | Biomedium is being added to spur the recovery of bottom-dwelling plants and invertebrates

• 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

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for August 2022, continue reading for further details:

• Interstate Island | Prairie Restorations is working this month to control invasive vegetation and plant dune grass and other dune-appropriate species

• Lake Superior Pocket Gallery™ | Explore the new Lake Superior Pocket Gallery™ smartphone app and see if you can find the St. Louis River Area of Concern content.

Interested in learning more about the Munger Landing clean-up project? Click here to learn more about the sediment project with the attached Munger Landing Fact Sheet, St. Louis River Area of Concern Fact Sheet and the SLRAOC WI Sediment Remediation Sites document.

Many Great Lakes communities have carried the burden of legacy pollution for decades. Now, they have an opportunity for a new lease on life as local waterways are cleaned up.

This video series features five cities along waterways deemed Areas of Concern (AOCs) that are in various stages of the cleanup process and are experiencing revitalization.

This video highlights Duluth, Minnesota, in the St. Louis River AOC. Cleanup efforts have led to growth in the city’s economic, recreational, and tourism industries.

You are invited to a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 6:00 PM about the Munger Landing sediment cleanup at the Clyde Ave. boat launch in Duluth, Minnesota. The project involves the dredging of 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and disposal offsite at a certified landfill.

Join us to learn more and ask any questions! Registration for the online event is now open: https://bit.ly/3zFrNhS

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for July 2022, continue reading for further details:

• Munger Landing Project | Closed for two years starting July 5, 2022.  Public meeting to be held on Wednesday July 20th at 6:00pm.

• Kingsbury Bay Habitat Restoration Project | New fishing pier installed on Indian Point

• Scanlon Reservoir Project | Remedial construction has begun, in-water work expected to begin mid-July

• Ponds Behind Erie Pier Project | Dredging continues throughout the summer, with clean cover placement occurring fall 2022

• 40th Ave. West Habitat Restoration Project | application of biomedia expected to begin mid-July

• Piping Plover Habitat Restoration Project | 17,000 plugs of dune grass planted in June 2022

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for June 2022, continue reading for further details:

• Perch Lake Habitat Restoration Project | Construction beginning July 2022

• Munger Landing | Closed July 5th, 2022

• River Stories | Soliciting stories of the River before water quality improvements began

The Star Tribune recently shared a great article about the $113 million of federal funding that is going to help restore the St. Louis River!

Check out ‘Dreams of a Restored St. Louis River’ written by Jana Hollingsworth at the Star Tribune. Distributed on May 17, 2022

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for May 2022, continue reading for further details:

• Spirit Lake, Scanlon Reservoir and Munger Landing | EPA Announce $113 Million to fund the Great Lake Restoration Projects near Duluth, Mn

• U.S. Steel/Spirit Lake Project Public Meeting | Thursday, May 19th from 5-7:30 p.m.

• Kingsbury Bay | Goose exclusion fencing has been installed

• Perch Lake Habitat Restoration Project | Contract awarded to J.F. Brennan

• **Reminder: Munger Landing | Closed for 2022-2023

The St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) is one of 31 AOCs in the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes basin. 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.

After decades of work and partnerships, you can now see the 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.

As of March 31, 2022, 62.5% of the management actions are completed.

Public Invited To Comment On Proposal To Remove Impairment In St. Louis River Area of Concern | The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are seeking public comments on their recommendation to remove the Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations Beneficial Use Impairment from the St. Louis River Area of Concern.

The public comment period is open until April 26 and there will be a public open house on Thursday, April 14, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Superior Reserve Estuarium located at 3 Marina Drive, Superior, Wisconsin. A presentation about the impairment proposed for removal will begin at 5:30 p.m.

A lot of field work is planned for the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) project sites and is explained in the attached 2022 Field Work. 

PADDLERS: It is important to know what projects are happening as you explore the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail! Check out the attached Paddlers Awareness handout to know where current project efforts could impede your paddling plans. Be sure to reference it before you launch so you can be sure to avoid active construction sites.

****Due to the start of the Munger Landing remediation project, the Clyde Avenue boat launch will be closed for two years, starting in June of 2022.

ST. LOUIS RIVER AREA OF CONCERN UPDATES:

The 2021 Remedial Action Plan (RAP) has been posted!

The RAP describes the remaining impairments, targets to remove them, actions to achieve the removal targets, and the anticipated timelines for each action. Multiple local, state, federal, and tribal partners coordinate the implementation activities.

You can find the full document here: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sit…/default/files/wq-ws1-37.pdf

You are invited to a virtual public meeting about the Munger Landing sediment cleanup at the Clyde Ave. boat launch in Duluth, Minnesota. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 6 p.m. online. This is a great opportunity for the public to learn more about the cleanup and to ask questions about the project.

Free, but registration is necessary: https://bit.ly/3q1YHUv

Pickle Pond is getting cleaned up and we need your help deciding the future of the project! Please take the 15-minute survey to let us know how you use Pickle Pond, how the restoration efforts would affect you and what improvements should be considered at the pond. All results will be considered to improve this and future projects.

Learn more and take the survey at: https://arcg.is/1aaiqv

84,660 cubic yards of contaminated sediments were removed from Howards Bay and the three slips within it: Hughitt Slip; Cummings Slip; and Fraser Slip. Maintenance dredging in the Federal Navigational Channel removed approximately 34,000 cubic yards of material.

The project leaves behind a healthier aquatic habitat that will improve the overall health of the St. Louis River. It also clears the way for future maintenance dredging, which had previously been restricted due to contamination in Howards Bay.

A draft of the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC) Remedial Action Plan is available for public review and comments until noon on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. 

Questions and comments can be sent to Matt Steiger, Wisconsin DNR St. Louis River AOC Coordinator, at matthew.steiger@wisconsin.gov or 715-559-9523.

After stakeholder comments are reviewed, a final Remedial Action Plan will be shared and posted on the St. Louis River AOC website.