Many projects are happening to help clean-up and delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Here are some current project updates for October:

• Munger Landing and Spirit Lake/U.S. Steel: As construction continues, please stay out of the project areas, including trails and the railroad, until official reopening announcements are made.

• Superior Slips: Sediment Remediation Study has reached a milestone with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ approval to remove contaminated sediment in three large slips within the Port of Superior. Watch for an upcoming public meeting about the clean-up effort!

• Pickle Pond: Crews have completed 90% of the wetland and are working to remove a section of the railroad embankment. The new openings will improve water exchange, water quality, and restore unrestricted navigation by small craft for the first time in over 130 years. More information HERE.

• Perch Lake: Expect single-lane traffic to continue into October as the Perch Lake culvert is being installed under Highway 23. This new opening will help restore waterflow between the St. Louis River and Perch Lake.

• Howards Bay: In association with the Howards Bay project, the City of Superior is building a trail on the former Wisconsin Point landfill that will be open for recreation in spring 2024, after the construction contract and permits are closed. More information HERE.

• Completed Management Actions: Ponds behind Erie Pier and Scanlon Reservoir represent two projects that have been added to the list of completed management actions, with 27 management actions in progress.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our ‘Beginner Birding and Bird Identification: a River Connection Field Event’ hosted at Kingsbury Bay on 9/26/23. We had a great time walking the Waabizheshikana Trail as we learned about various Area of Concern cleanup efforts, in addition to spotting some of the diverse migratory birds of the St. Louis River.

A big special thank you to our expert presenters from the Duluth Audubon Society for sharing your passion, time, and equipment with us!

The St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA), in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, planted approximately 500 pounds of manoomin (Ojibwe name for wild rice) on the St. Louis River estuary on Friday, September 8th. This was the 8th year SLRA has had the opportunity to participate in these restoration efforts. 

During this time, volunteers learned about manoomin ecology, its cultural significance, and the restoration efforts happening in the St. Louis River, as well as participating in the hands-on reseeding of the wetlands in Kingsbury Bay for re-establishment. 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:

• Regulated Navigation Areas: To protect engineered remedies, 6 sites in Minnesota are being proposed as federal Regulated Navigation Areas. To submit comments, more details below.

• Pickle Pond: Crews began constructing a wetland spillway and are approximately 90% complete with dredging. Rail removal, wetland and filter strip construction and monitoring of water clarity outside of Pickle Pond are ongoing. Find more details below.

• Perch Lake: Starting September 5th, Landwehr Construction will begin installing a concrete culvert under Highway 23. Expect single-lane traffic during construction, continuing through about October 20th.

• Thomson Reservoir: Join the Environmental Protection Agency, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and PotlatchDeltic for a public meeting at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College Amphitheatre on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 PM. This meeting is to learn about the 2024 Thomson Reservoir sediment remediation project and ask questions. Register HERE, with more details below.

• Scanlon Reservoir: The public parking area, trail, fishing pier and walk-in paddle sport landing are all open to the public, but may experience temporary closures to accommodate construction.

• Munger Landing & Spirit Lake/U.S. Steel: Please stay away from these sites until they officially reopen. For everyone’s safety, please stay out of the project areas, including trails and the railroad.

Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Wednesday, October 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm for ‘Incredible Wild Edibles: a River Connection Field Event’ hosted at Chambers Grove Park (13404 MN-23, Duluth, MN), presented by Sarah (Sair) Foltz Jordan of the Xerces Society. Please carpool if you are able.

Space is limited and registration is necessary. Register by September 29th at 4 p.m.

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/rWHJpN51SHMdTT5f9

Wild edibles provide nutritious, delicious, sustainable, local, gourmet food—- always found in one of the best places to be: the great outdoors! This field event will introduce dozens of wild edibles that can be found along the St. Louis River and in our region, with an emphasis on some of the best greens, mushrooms, roots, berries, and bulbs that money can’t buy. We’ll discuss foraging ethics, identification, harvest, and cooking tips. Creative methods for incorporating more diversity into your diet will also be introduced, including wild teas, pestos, nutritional powders, broths, salts, and more.

Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Tuesday, September 26th from 5:00 to 6:30 pm for ‘Beginner Birding and Bird Identification: a River Connection Field Event’ hosted at Kingsbury Bay. We will park and meet at the Waabizheshikana Trailhead Parking near the Munger Inn at 7009 Pulaski St, Duluth. Please carpool if you are able. No prior birding experience is necessary for participation. Binoculars will be available for use during the event.

Space is limited and registration is necessary. Register by September 22nd at 4 p.m. REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/iyGKZDCbFdSCC7cH9

During this event, attendees will be introduced to the basics of birding during fall migration along the St. Louis River. Experts from the Duluth Audubon Society will lead the discussion on techniques to locate, identify, and observe birds, as well as guide attendees in the use of bird-spotting equipment such as binoculars and spotting scopes.

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:

• Munger Landing: remedial construction is going well, and the public are reminded to please stay away from the site until it reopens in the spring of 2024.

• The Spirit Lake/U.S. Steel: site is NOT open to the public. Please stay off the site, trails, railroad tracks, and shorelines.

• Pickle Pond: crews have removed all the contaminated sediment and transported it to a landfill. Rail removal, filter strip construction and monitoring of water clarity continues.

• Scanlon Reservoir: upland site restoration activities will resume in August, with the public parking area and fishing pier open to the public, with possible disruptions at times.

• Thomson Reservoir: Kayak Center has a new sign with information about the sediment remediation project that starts in 2024. A public meeting about the project will be held on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 at 6 pm at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College.

• Environmental Protection Agency and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are hosting a public open house to discuss PCB cleanup near Snively Creek, on Thursday 8/17, from 4:40-6:30, more details to follow. Soil excavation to remove the contamination will begin the week of 8/21

From January 2023 to March 2023, the St. Louis River Alliance, in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, hosted six in-person neighborhood input events within the 18 communities adjacent to the St. Louis River. The goal of these events were to identify what activities community members wanted to experience on and near the river, in addition to any barriers that kept them from those activities.

Approximately 300 people attended the six events, in addition to online feedback received via a google form. We had a total of 180 people submit forms (both physical and online). From this information, the St. Louis River Alliance created a River Connection Summary Report, which is available HERE for viewing.

We have distributed hundreds of St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail Maps throughout the Twin Ports and beyond!

You can pick one up at one of the many local businesses and organizations listed HERE as well as outside the St. Louis River Alliance office at 394 S Lake Ave. Suite 604 in Duluth.

If you are interested in being a map distribution location, please fill out this short google form: https://tinyurl.com/2023-nwt-map-locations

Calling all volunteers! Join the St. Louis River Alliance and Master Naturalists on Sunday, August 20th from 1-3 p.m. for a volunteer cleanup day at the Piping Plover Habitat Site at the Wisconsin Point Wildlife Sanctuary. Come lend a hand however your schedule allows.

We will be handling non-local invasive species such as tansy as well as piling up and removing woody debris from the shoreline. Participants are encouraged to email projectleader@stlouisriver.org if they are interested in helping at one or both of these days so we have enough tools to go around.

Join us for FREE MUSIC ON THE RIVER, FORIVER, Friday, August 11th from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Thank you to Anndrea Ploeger and her husband Mark for putting together this wonderful fundraiser in memory of their son, River Johnson, for the St. Louis River Alliance. There will be live music by Sonja Rebecca Martin (Feeding Leroy) from their private dock in Woodstock Bay. This event is open to all and we hope you can paddle over to enjoy the beautiful evening! Every donation will receive a free sticker and all donations will go to the St. Louis River Alliance.

Woodstock Bay Public Landing will be CLOSED, please paddle over from Billings Park Landing in Superior to enjoy this event.

For full event details, go to: https://www.anndreasart.com/post/free-music-on-the-river-foriver

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Beginner Paddling + Water Safety event on Tuesday, July 25th at Boy Scout Landing in Duluth. We learned about the importance of cold water safety, how to properly fit and wear a life jacket, and basic paddle strokes and canoe terminology, surrounded by community in a safe and fun atmosphere!

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:

• Piping Plover Habitat Restoration Site: Over 5,200 plugs were planted to expand the dune grass area at the Piping Plover habitat restoration site on Wisconsin Point.

• Manoomin (Wild Rice): Partners have been busy observing promising Manoomin (wild rice) growth this summer. 49 protective exclosures have been installed in 6 locations.

• C. Reiss Terminal: US EPA, C. Reiss, and WI DNR entered an agreement under the Great Lakes Legacy Act at the C. Reiss Terminal in Superior, WI. This partnership will help restore operations of a dormant dock and accelerate the clean-up of contaminated sediments. The project is in design, slated for 2024 construction.

• Pickle Pond: Crews continued dredging and have removed 80% of the contaminated sediment from Pickle Pond. Rail removal and monitoring of water clarity is ongoing. Contractors continue sediment removal & disposal through July. The next phase will be deepening the pond and wetland restoration work.

• Munger Landing: Work has resumed at Munger Landing. As the contaminated sediments are dredged, they are piped to Hallett Dock 7 for dewatering and water treatment. Once that work is complete, about 35,000 cubic yards of clean sand cover will be placed over remedial area. Please stay out of the entire project area!

• Ponds Behind Erie Pier: Site restoration at the Ponds Behind Erie Pier Great Lakes Legacy Act project has been completed and the City’s adjacent Cross-City Trail has been reopened.

• Upcoming events:

  • Lake Superior Days: Sunday, June 16th from 11 am - 3 pm on Barkers Island. Enjoy free family fun, music, kids’ activities, stand up paddle boarding, food vendors & more info booths focused on our Great Lake.

Join the St. Louis River Alliance on Tuesday, July 25th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for a hands-on, free Beginner Paddling & Water Safety event hosted at Boy Scout Public Landing (11 Commonwealth Ave, Duluth, MN). All gear will be provided including life jackets, canoes, and paddles. No prior paddle experience necessary.

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.