Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Current project updates for December 2022:

• Degraded Fish & Wildlife Populations BUI | Beneficial Use Impairment removal request

• Superior Slips Sediment Remediation Feasibility Study | Major environmental remediation project kicks off in the port of Superior

• Winter SLRAOC Construction | For safety, please stay away from construction sites

• SLRAOC Remedial Action Plan Draft | Announcement coming later in December

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.

Dara Fillmore with the Wisconsin DNR opened the night with a beautiful poem about the river. Our keynote speaker Mark Loomis, Project Manager U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, shared about the Spirit Lake Project. Kris Eilers, Executive Director for the St. Louis River Alliance shared about project and program updates the Alliance has worked on throughout the year. And Barb Huberty with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency represented all of the St. Louis River Area of Concern Coordinators with her presentation on projects that have been completed or are underway on the river.

We present to you the 'St. Louis River Roast', a balanced, lively cup of coffee that you can enjoy bundled up at home or on the banks of the river. Brewed in Duluth, you can pick this up at one of the many local retailers or purchase online.

Best part?? 100% of net profits go back to the St. Louis River Alliance so we can continue our work of protecting, restoring and enhancing the St. Louis River!

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.

If you were not able to make it, or are interested in reviewing the information presented, you can view the presentations 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 November 2022, 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

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.

LEARN MORE HERE

By being a member of the St. Louis River Alliance, you become a voice for the river. The St. Louis River Alliance is committed to protecting, restoring and enhancing the river through habitat projects, stewardship events, environmental education, and outreach. We couldn't do this work without you!

It’s important for all of us to participate in these efforts. As a member, you are helping assist with the cleanup of the St. Louis River, but most importantly you are becoming part of a community. Your contributions are what allow us to continue to get people on the water experiencing all that this beautiful resource has to offer.

Become a member today!

SLRA is hosting its annual Membership Drive November 1 to December 13. During this time, all new and returning SLRA supporters will have the chance to win a guided St. Louis River kayak trip for up to six people.

Enter to win: Become/renew your SLRA membership, successfully refer a friend to become a member, or make a tax-deductible donation today!

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 28th we threw a celebration for the official ribbon cutting of the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail. Thank you to all of our partners, artists, community leaders, community members, SLRA staff, board members and volunteers! Last night is what the work is all about... to see that many people come together to celebrate one of the most beautiful places in the world. Tom Howes told a story about an elder who used to say 'why would I go anywhere else, this is the center of all good things'. How true that rings!

Thank you to the volunteers who came out and helped us clean up Woodstock Bay Landing in Superior, along with removing some of the invasive Purple Loosestrife!

With the help of our volunteers, we removed two large contractor bags of Purple Loosestrife flowers by hand, as well as collected garbage at the landing. Purple Loosestrife is a wetland plant with showy purple flowers and is considered an invasive species.

Thank you Dara with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for sharing about Purple Loosestrife and building context around the negative impacts the plant can have on native plants!

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

We had fun with the College of St. Scholastica Ecology students a few weeks ago! We walked down the Waabizheshikana trail (previously the Marten Trail) and explored the various ways humans have interacted with and changed the River in our past, present and looking towards the future. The Alliance shared about the St. Louis River Area of Concern process and ways students can get involved with the clean up efforts on the River, as well as events they an attend!

The St. Louis River Alliance has been actively engaged in Piping Plover efforts in the St. Louis River estuary for over a decade. In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources we help manage and maintain the Piping Plover Bird Sanctuary on Wisconsin Point to help create nesting and foraging habitat for the endangered shorebird.

Throughout the season (March - October), we have been working on site maintenance including removal of woody debris, controlling unwanted vegetation by picking weeds, cutting shrubs and burning. Thank you to Master Naturalist-Head of the Lakes Chapter volunteers, St. Louis River Alliance staff and other community members who have helped make this site a favorable environment for the Piping Plover!

Here is a Spring Migration Timetable, provided by Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. These are just a few of the species you can see on the St. Louis River in Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. For more information go to hawkridge.org

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.

Thank you to everyone who came out to our July Plant ID Paddle with special guest Gigi Stafne of Green Wisdom School of Natural & Botanical Medicine! We enjoyed a beautiful night on the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail as we discovered over a dozen medicinal plants, flowers, trees and ‘weeds’ along the way. This was a special event for all St. Louis River Alliance members and we look forward to many more!

We would like to welcome the newest additions to our St. Louis River Alliance Board of Directors! These leaders are going to help the Alliance continue to grow and help build more connections to the River.

From left to right; Breanna Ellison, Thomas Howes, Sam Lobby, and Don Ness.

You can learn more about our entire board and read their bios HERE.