On Monday, June 26th the St. Louis River Alliance assisted the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in planting approximately 5,000 native dune grass plugs, adding to the 16,000+ that were planted in 2022. 

Rhizomes rooting from the dune grass grow horizontally which will help stabilize and strengthen the shoreline while enhancing the foraging (non-nesting) Piping Plover habitat area. This stabilization will help combat some of the natural systems that put the site at risk, including water fluctuations, erosion, sand deposition, debris build up, and wave action.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and staff from the Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI), Wisconsin DNR, and the St. Louis River Alliance who happily ‘plugged’ away to maintain a strong and healthy ecosystem for our shorebird friends!

On Thursday, June 22nd the St. Louis River Alliance and volunteers removed hundreds of pounds of the aquatic invasive species yellow flag iris from Woodstock Bay Public Landing!

As our volunteers can attest, these tenacious plants gain a foothold in our aquatic ecosystems and outcompete the native plant species for space and resources.

Big thank you to both Jody Saylor (Volunteer, Events, and Program Coordinator) from the City of Superior for providing gear and a iris disposal transport vehicle, and Zach Stewart (Natural Resources/AIS Specialist) from the Douglas County Surface Waters Program for the knowledge and expertise to identify and remove the invasive iris from Woodstock Bay. Also, none of this would have been possible without YOU, our volunteers! Thank you for your continued support of the river.

The 2023 Piping Plover monitoring season was a success thanks to our incredible team of five seasonal monitors and our Project Leader Mikayla Erickson. Beginning May 1st, monitors went out to Wisconsin Point Habitat Site daily to observe, identify, and record all species of shorebirds, signs of predators, and environmental changes. This information was recorded to data sheets and captured through photographs. Many species were seen in addition to Piping Plover sightings on May 10, May 13, and May 15th. However, there was not a nesting pair this year. The hope is that through continued maintenance work and monitoring, one day a pair of Piping Plovers will mate and nest along Wisconsin and Minnesota Point shorelines.

The City of Duluth invites the public to a community update meeting on Wednesday, June 21 at 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM at Morgan Park Community Center to discuss improvements of the Waabizheshikana: The Marten Trail, Area of Concern updates, new St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail initiatives and more.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Current project updates for June 2023: Here are some current project updates, continue reading for further details:

• Thomson Reservoir: An Environmental Assessment Worksheet that describes the potential effects of the Thomson Reservoir remediation project in MN is available for review & comment until July 6th

• Pickle Pond: Crews started dredging & have removed 10% of the contaminated sediment at Pickle Pond in Wisconsin. Rail removal has started on the north bank. A 3rd barge will be added to the fleet to continue sediment removal & disposal through July. Then the pond will be deepened and wetland restoration work started.

• Superior Slips: The team is evaluating the collection of more samples at the Superior Slips sites in WI to further define contamination areas. Organotin & other targeted contaminants will be sampled in the Tower Ave & General Mills slips to refine cost estimates the options to clean up contaminated sediments. 

• St. Louis River Area of Concern Story Map: Changes made by the software vendor have driven changes in the SLROAC’s story map.  On this website, click on the story map button to see the new, six-chapter layout. Chapter 1 gives navigation tips and site locations maps in Ch. 3 and Ch. 4 are linked to detailed information about the mapped projects.

• Upcoming events:

  • Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan IV Public Input Session: Wednesday, July 12th from 6-8 pm at the University of Wisconsin-Suprior Yellowjacket Union in Superior, WI

  • 2023 Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference: held in Green Bay on September 13 & 14, with pre-conference sessions and tours on 9/12. It is open to the public.

Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Thursday, June 22nd from 5:00-6:30 p.m. for a volunteer cleanup event at Woodstock Bay Public Landing in Superior, Wisconsin!

We will be removing invasive Yellow Flag Iris flowers by hand as well as collecting garbage (not to be confused with the beautiful and native Blue Iris).

Meet at the Woodstock Bay Public Landing Parking Lot at 15 White Birch Trail, Superior, WI 54880.

If you are interested in volunteering, you can email Alyssa at Outreach@StLouisRiver.org (or just show up). Groups and other organizations are highly encouraged to get involved.

Construction is underway to clean up polluted sediment and restore fish and wildlife habitat at Pickle Pond, a nine-acre urban pond that was created by the construction of a railroad embankment that cut off part of Barker's Bay in Superior. This project is part of a large-scale effort to address historical pollution and habitat loss in the St. Louis River Area of Concern and funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

It is again migratory shorebird season here in the Twin Ports!

The St. Louis River Alliance is monitoring the beaches on Wisconsin Point and Minnesota Point for the critically endangered shorebird, the Great Lakes Piping Plover.

For more information on the Piping Plover visit https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/pipingplover/

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Current project updates for May 2023:

• Munger Landing & Ponds behind Erie Pier: Construction will resume soon. For everyone’s safety, please stay out of these work areas until official announcements about their reopening have been made.

• Scanlon Reservoir: Site restoration work will begin soon. The entrance road, parking area, fishing pier, & paddle boat launch at Scanlon Reservoir Park are open; however, they may temporarily close to accommodate site work. There’s no access past the road gate.

• Pickle Pond: Construction has begun at the Pickle Pond restoration site in Superior. Crews will be setting up equipment and clearing areas to access the pond. Dredging will continue throughout the summer to remove contaminated sediments and create a deeper pond that is better connected to the St. Louis River.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Current project updates for April 2023:

• Superior Slip Sediment Remediation Project | Information can now be found on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.

• Spirit Lake | Construction in progress, no public access until work is complete. Please stay clear of work outlined in map below.

• The St. Louis River Area of Concern: From a Fond du Lac Viewpoint | Due to winter weather, this event has been rescheduled to Thursday, April 13th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Black Bear Casino

• Scanlon Reservoir | Entrance road, parking area, fishing pier & paddle launch are now accessible. However, some areas may close temporarily during site restoration work in Spring 2023.

• Munger Landing & Ponds behind Erie Pier | No public access! Please stay out of these work areas until official announcements about their reopening have bene made.

EVENT RESCHEDULED DUE TO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY!

Join us on THURSDAY, APRIL 13th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for ‘The St. Louis River Area of Concern: From a Fond du Lac Viewpoint’ at the Stoney Brook Creek Room at Black Bear Casino (1785 MN-210, Carlton, MN 55718).

Speakers from the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will share their unique cultural perspectives about the St. Louis River Area of Concern, their partnership role, and their own natural resource management efforts. Around the Earth drum group will open with song and Naawakwe will share Ojibwe place names in the Estuary. St. Louis River Area of Concern Coordinators will share plans for their work in 2023.

This event is free and open to the public. Come enjoy snacks, a cash bar, and thoughtful conversations!

SPONSORSHIP DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 5/12/23

Due to high demand, the St. Louis River Alliance will be printing another 10,000 St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail maps which will be distributed regionally and available online this coming spring and summer.

We are currently looking for map sponsors to support this project! Sponsorships start at $150 and there are limited spaces available, so claim your spot today.

The Water Trail map is a free, valuable resource for river enthusiasts and promotes the incredible local businesses of the Twin Ports!

NOW HIRING! The St. Louis River Alliance is hiring seasonal Piping Plover Monitors to help monitor and record bird activity on Wisconsin & Minnesota Point.

Monitor season is from May 1st-June 15th and staff will work 20-30 hours per week, with field training starting April 24th (weather dependent). In the event that nesting behavior occurs, positions may be extended until August 31st.

Please send your cover letter and resume to Mikayla Erickson at projectleader@stlouisriver.org to be considered for the position.

Click here for the full job description.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Current project updates for March 2023:

• Perch Lake Update | In-water work at Perch Lake is complete now that dredging between Hwy 23 and the Waabizheshikana Trail (Marten Trail) is done.

• Munger Landing Update | J.F. Brennan is working ten-hour days intermittently this winter removing contaminated sediment from the Snively Creek wetlands just south of Munger Landing. 

• The St. Louis River Area of Concern: From a Fond du Lac Perspective (Event) | Tuesday, April 4th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Black Bear Casino in the Stoney Brook Creek Room

• 2023 Anticipated Field Work & Paddlers Awareness Handout | Many projects are planned for the St. Louis River Area of Concern, review these resources to learn about construction zones to avoid.

• Winter Construction | For safety’s sake, please stay away & be alert to St. Louis River Area of Concern construction traffic near project sites

A lot of field work is planned for the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) project sites and is explained in the attached 2023 Anticipated Field Work document. 

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 Munger Landing remediation project, the Clyde Avenue boat launch will be closed for the 2023 paddle season.

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

A sediment cleanup project is underway at Munger Landing, also known as the Clyde Avenue boat launch, to protect human health and the environment from contamination left behind from historic industrial discharges.

The Project includes the dredging and off-site disposal of approximately 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments across 38 acres. The Project will also restore eight acres of aquatic habitat and include replacement of the motorized boat landing and constructing a new sandy paddle sport launch.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on our Winter Walk, as a part of the Winter Out West weekend! We had a beautiful, warm stroll on the Waabizheshikana Trail, and a great opportunity to learn about some of the clean up projects happening along the river.

Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Current project updates for February 2023:

• BUI 2 Removal | The Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations Beneficial Use Impairment has been officially removed from the SLRAOC!

• 2022 RAP Posted | The annual update of the SLRAOC Remedial Action Plan has been completed. 

• Superior Slips update | WDNR and its partners have investigated sediment contamination in 4 industrial slips in the Port of Superior and developed alternatives for remedial cleanup.

• Winter AOC Construction | Please stay away and be alert to construction traffic at work sites.

On January 25th the St. Louis River Alliance and YMCA hosted a special Winter Fun Night event at the GND Rec. Center. We enjoyed hot chocolate, snowshoeing, a bonfire and time connecting with community! This event was free and family friendly.

We hosted the event as an opportunity to gain public feedback on what activities and events people would like to see on the St. Louis River. The input was overwhelming and we are so thankful for everyones participation!