AOC Coordinators
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Duluth, MN
(218) 302-6623
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Office of the Great Lakes
Madison, WI
(608) 267-0700
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Duluth, MN
(218)525-0853x209
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Fond du Lac Resource Management
Cloquet, MN
(218) 878-7122
Federal Agency Support
United State Environment Protection Agency (Region 5)
Great Lakes National Protection Office
Chicago, IL
(312) 886-9853
www.epa.gov/grtlakes/aoc/stlouis/index.html
United State Fish and Wildlife Service
Twin Cities Ecological Services Field Office
Bloomington, MN
(612) 725-3548
United State Fish and Wildlife Service
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office
Ashland, WI
(715) 682-6185
US Army Corps of Engineers -Detroit District
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 226-2223
National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration
NOAA Restoration Center, Great Lakes Region
Oak Harbor, OH
(419)-898-3631
www.habitat.noaa.gov/restoration/regional/greatlakes.html
Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency
^jMinnesola
ft
DEPARTMENT OF
WTURAi RESOURCES
Current RAP Partners
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
City of Duluth
City of Superior
Community Action Duluth -Duluth Stream Corps
Douglas County, Wisconsin
Duluth Seaway Port Authority
Lake Superior BiNational Program
Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve( NERR)
Metropolitan Commission -Harbor Tech Advisory Committee
Minnesota Sea Grant
Minnesota Lake Superior Coastal Program
Minnesota Land Trust
Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI)
St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA)
The Nature Conservancy
South St Louis Soil and Water District (SSLSWD)
University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
US EPA Midcontinent Division
US Geological Survey (USGS)
University of Wisconsin Superior (UWS)
West Wisconsin Land Trust
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD)
Wisconsin Coastal Program
Wisconsin Sea Grant
1854 Treaty Authority
St. Louis River Area of Concern
2013 Progress Report
JT Prepared by the St. Louis River Alliance, a partner of the Area of
ALUANCE Concern Coordination Team which includes:
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
c a a k &EPA Great LakesJrfck
Funded by: RESTORATION J 7
Agency
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Zk.
Timvu
Working Harbor
Photo by Lynelle Hanson
Great Lakes Restorative ISpirit Island protected.
Priority restoration AOC-wide sediment
Initiative established.
Clough Island
protected.
Superior completes
stormwater sewer
separation.
, , project planning & characterization analysis
Naturally reproducing sturgeon identified in . ... ^ .th 0
implementation at 40th & complete.
estuary.
21st AVe W. c* I n:_
SLRIT clean up and restoration complete.
National Audubon Society names estuary
Important Birding Area.
Piping Plover Habitat Improvement Project.
Duluth Stormwater
Overflow Tanks
completed.
St. Louis River
Implementation
Framework Completed.
2025
Area of Recovery
achieved and possible
de-listing.
WILMINGTON
Front Cover Photo Credits Left to Right:
Jack Ezell, Richard Hamilton Smith, Community Action Duluth
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Area of Concern to
Area of Recovery by 2025
The Duluth-Superior Harbor is
America's busiest inland port. It is a
tremendous asset to the Twin Ports
region - an area rich with natural
resources for commercial and
recreational growth.
This report celebrates many
important actions that have taken
place in the Area of Concern since
its formal designation in 1989. The
St. Louis River estuary was heavily
impacted by historic land uses,
dredging and the release of harmful
chemicals.
Over the years, nearly one-third of
the St. Louis River Estuary has been
filled or dredged. These actions from
the years prior to environmental
regulation led to the loss of
important habitat and a legacy of
contaminated sediments.
While we reflect on the successful
efforts to correct some of these
legacy concerns over the past 24
years, we know much more work
remains. Fortunately, the time is ripe
for bold efforts to finish the job of
restoring the Area of Concern to an
Area of Recovery
Today, partnerships are strong and
the potential is high for funding
restoration efforts. Federal funding is
through the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative (GLRI), and the Great
Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) and state
funding is through Minnesota's
Legacy Funds and Wisconsin's
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund.
"We have a really diverse
fishery and the quality is really
high... I would challenge you
to find a higher quality fishery
near a quarter million people."
John Lindgren
Fisheries Biologist
MDNRAOC Coordinator
There are also other state and local
funding sources. Formal delisting of
the Area of Concern is within reach!
The St Louis River AOC
Implementation Framework is
being developed this year. This is
an exciting cooperative strategic
planning effort funded by the GLRI
which has involved input from over
100 partners.
State, federal and local agencies,
the Fond du Lac Tribe, and other
partners will release this consensus
framework "roadmap" this year.
It will provide a multi-year
comprehensive strategic action plan
that will clearly identify actions
necessary to remove the nine
Beneficial Use Impairments and
ultimately delist the AOC - by 2025!
Future reports will highlight progress
made towards the ultimate goal of
delisting the AOC.
We look forward to a bright
future that includes a healthy St.
Louis River, an economically and
ecologically sustainable asset for all.
St. Louis River
Restoration Initial
St. Louts River Estu ary
Area of Concern to Area of Recovery
A Framework for Delisting
AOC Milestone
1989 1992 1995
St. Louis River AOC listed Nine Beneficial Use St. Louis/Red River
under Great Lakes Water Impairments formally Streambank Protection
Quality Agreement. listed. Area protected 5,000
acres & 5 miles of
shoreline.
2002 2005 2008
Lower St Louis River Hog Island-Newton MN&WI jointly
Habitat Plan completed. Creek remediation developed BUI
Lake Superior Beach completed. Removal Targets.
Monitoring Program Magney-Snively Duluth MN Legacy Funds
initiated. Natural Area Program established,
designated.
St Louis River Estuary
Introduction
This report provides a summary of
activities completed on the St. Louis
River over the past 24 years to restore
and revitalize this unique resource.
These efforts have addressed the
significant pollution and habitat
issues that led to the 1989 listing
of the St. Louis River as an Area
of Concern (AOC), one of the 43
most polluted sites around the Great
Lakes. The ultimate goal is to "delist"
the AOC.
Progress has been achieved
through collaborative efforts
between the local, state, and federal
agencies, Fond du Lac Tribe,
non-governmental organizations,
academia, and the general public.
The Great Lakes Start Here!
The St. Louis River is the second
largest river flowing into Lake
Superior, running 179 miles from
northeastern Minnesota through the
St. Louis River Estuary to its outlet
at the Duluth/Harbor. The natural
outlet is near Superior, Wisconsin.
The St. Louis River Estuary is a
12,000-acre area located along the
river's reach that runs between the
cities of Duluth, Minnesota and
Superior, Wisconsin. This area
includes shallow backwaters, bays
and islands that provide ideal habitat
for many resident and migratory bird
and wildlife species. It is a unique
ecosystem with regional and global
significance.
While parts of the upper estuary are
almost wilderness-like, the lower
estuary was dredged and filled
to accommodate shipping traffic
beginning in the 1860s. This created
the largest industrial port on the
Great Lakes. The Duluth entrance
(now the site of the famous canal and
lift bridge) was constructed in 1871
to provide an alternative entrance to
the original Superior entrance.
The estuary has experienced many
changes over the past 150 years.
Logging cleared the landscape
of vegetation for some time. It is
estimated that between 50 and 100
dams existed along the St. Louis
River during the 1800s to serve the
logging industry Iron, shipbuilding,
and the grain trade were major
industries in the 1880s. Other
industries included brewing, railway
cars, iceboxes and refrigerators, flax,
shoes, cigars and cigarettes, and coke
from Lake Erie coal. Superior became
a major petroleum-refining site.
Duluth-Superior is now a regional
hub for a variety of transportation
modes; highway, rail, pipeline,
air and waterborne shipping. The
Duluth-Superior Harbor is America's
busiest inland port with 1,000 vessels
visiting annually carrying $2 billion
in cargo and supporting 2,000 local
jobs with a $210 million economic
impact.
St. Louis River Estuary. Photo by Diane Desotelle
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St. Louis River Area
Canoeing on the St. Louis River.
Photo by SLRA
In the 1980s, 43 Areas of Concern
(AOC) were listed as the most pol-
luted areas around the Great Lakes
by the Canada-US Great Lakes Water
Quality Agreement. These AOCs
share a history of past industrial uses
when, prior to environmental regula-
tion, dumping waste on land and in
water was commonplace.
These past practices left "legacy"
pollutants in bottom sediment, which
degraded habitat for fish and wildlife,
and contributed to human health
risks. The Agreement provides a
framework for the US and Canada to
work together to restore the integrity
of the Great Lakes by addressing the
environmental problems caused by
past practices.
Today, the St. Louis River AOC is one
of 38 remaining AOCs in the Great
Lakes. The St. Louis River AOC
encompasses portions of the St. Louis
River watershed in Minnesota, the
Nemadji River watershed in Wis-
consin and the western tip of Lake
Superior. The Nemadji River runs 65
miles through Minnesota and Wis-
consin and is the last tributary to the
St Louis River. Actions to restore the
AOC, however, focus primarily on
the lower St. Louis River Estuary.
The St. Louis River was also listed as
an AOC due to historic habitat loss
from the extensive filling of wetlands
and dredging of shallow aquatic
habitat. In addition, the release of
harmful chemicals contaminated
the sediments and water in the river.
Since 1861, nearly 3,000 acres of
wetlands have been filled, and 4,000
acres have been dredged or deepened
for navigation.
There is no clear documentation on
how industries and municipalities in
the Duluth-Superior area handled
their solid and liquid wastes prior to
the 1970s. A number of industries
discharged directly and indirectly
into the estuary. The AOC contains
several sites that are known to con-
tain hazardous wastes and chemical
contaminants from these discharges.
These conditions led to a listing of
nine "beneficial use impairments"
(BUI's) within the AOC. These are
issues that limit the use of the river
by humans and wildlife. They are de-
scribed on page 5. In order to remove
("delist") the St. Louis River from the
list of AOCs, the issues leading to
these BUI's need to be resolved.
Clean Up Plans and Progress
In 1992, a Remedial Action Plan
(RAP) was developed to recommend
actions within the AOC that will
lead to the removal of the BUIs.
Uses will be restored through
programs and measures to control
pollution sources, restore habitat and
remediate environmental problems.
The goal of the RAP was to define
problems and their causes, and
recommend actions and timetables
to restore all beneficial uses to the
AOC. The development of the RAP
was a collaborative effort between the
Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (WDNR), Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency (MPCA),
Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR), St Louis River
Alliance (SLRA) and many other
agencies, stakeholders, and citizens.
The RAP was updated in 1995.
In 2002, government agencies,
stakeholders, and citizens
collaborated to produce the St.
Louis River Habitat Plan to facilitate
protection of the ecological diversity
of the Lower St. Louis River in
accordance with the RAP.
Many important clean-up projects
have since occurred and today
priorities for delisting the AOC
continue to include remediation of
contaminated sediments and habitat
restoration.
Since 2010, Wisconsin and
Minnesota have been working
together on a strategic action plan
to focus remediation and restoration
projects on the most important
sites. In addition, the states are
jointly developing a data system to
help assess, prioritize, design, and
implement these projects.
4
Achievements
The cities of Superior and Duluth have done substantial work to
control wastewater overflows that are due to excess stormwater
entering the sanitary sewer system.
Sediment quality studies and data management projects are being
carried out by joint efforts between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Beach monitoring programs by both states provide information and
education on the human health component at AOC area beaches.
Education and information on preventing the spread of aquatic
invasive species is provided to boaters and the public is provided by
both states.
A collaborative multi-year effort to sample for the incidences of fish
tumors is underway.
» Habitat protection measures have been taken including Wisconsin's
creation of the St. Louis River Streambank Protection Area in 1995;
the purchase of Clough Island in 2010 as a State Conservation Area;
and Douglas County's Hog Island restoration project. The MDNR and
the MPCA are working on remediation and/or restoration projects
(i.e., 21st Ave W, 40th Ave W, Grassy Point, Radio Tower Bay) with
input from the WDNR, Fond du Lac Tribe, USAGE, USFWS, City of
Duluth and other partners.
Remediation and/or Restoration
Projects Underway in 2012:
Conceptual designs for 40th
Ave W. Duluth. ^
Conceptual designs for 21 st
Ave W. Duluth. ^
Several hundred pilings
removed from Radio Tower
Bay. 0
Restoration on Clough Island.
Piping Plover habitat
restoration on Minnesota and
Wisconsin Point.
Conceptual designs for Pickle
Pond. 0
Please see map on page 6-7for
location of these projects.
St. Louis River Area of Concern Progress
Soirees: USGS, ESRI, TANA, Al
Sources: Esri, DeLcrme, USGS,
Nemaojl Sfjer
Superior
C^v.<
Legend
\ Potential Remediation Site
| Remedial Site - In progress
I Completed Sites
j Protection Site Complete *
| Restoration Site - In Progress
| Potential Restoration Site
Map Created by Brittany Story MPCA; 1/11/2013
NstiSrw Geographic,.Esri, CeLcr/ne NAVTEQ. UWEP-WCMC. USGS, NASA, ESA, METi, NRCAt^GifiCO, NOAA, iPC
9
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Area of Concern Achievements
lv >y
Sturgeon Recovery 0
Lake Sturgeon were plentiful in the St. Louis River until the early 1900s, when
their populations declined due to overharvesting, pollution and dam con-
struction. In 1983, the MDNR and WDNR began stocking sturgeon fry in the
river. In 2009, a project to improve habitat conditions for sturgeon-spawning
was completed. Finally, in 2011, four young sturgeon were collected: the first
evidence of sturgeon reproduction in many decades. This is a positive step
towards the recovery of this species in the AOC.
Sturgeon in the St Louis River Estuary. Photo by Bob Rashid
Protection and Restoration
Many habitat areas in the St. Louis
River Estuary have been signifi-
cantly impacted by past industrial
practices such as steel making and
sawmills. Many habitat restoration
projects funded by state and federal
agencies have been completed in re-
cent years, such as the 1998 project
at Grassy Point O
that removed sawmill waste and
provided recreational access and the
2010 project that restored the Tallus
Island water access. e
Other natural areas such as Clough
Island ^ have been purchased
or set aside by state agencies and
non-profits to preserve critical
shoreline habitats or provide recre-
ation or cultural access to resources.
Significant efforts have included
the Red River Breaks Stream Bank
Protection Area by the WDNR
and the purchase of Spirit Island
by the Fond du Lac Tribe.
Please see map on page 6-7for
location of these projects.
8
Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI)
BUI 1. Restriction of Fish Consumption:
Contaminant levels in fish exceed state
standards for mercury and polychlorinated
biphenyls in Minnesota and Wisconsin at
levels greater than other areas due to legacy
contaminants.
BUI 2. Degradation of Fish and Wildlife
Population: Fish and wildlife management
programs have identified degraded populations
offish and wildlife due to pollutants, habitat
loss, and invasive species.
BUI 3. Fish Tumors and Deformities:
Fish tumors and lesions have been observed
and studies are underway to understand if
there is any correlation to contaminated
sediments.
BUI 4. Degradation of Benthos: Degraded
benthos (organisms living on or in the bottom of
a body of water) density, diversity, and species
richness have been found due to physical
disturbances or proximity to known pollutants.
BUI 5. Restrictions on Dredging Activities:
Sediment dredged to maintain the shipping
channels have been known to contain a variety
of toxic and/or bio-accumulative contaminants
which may place restrictions on dredging.
BUI 6. Excessive Loading of Sediments and
Nutrients: Persistent water quality problems
were identified including increased nutrients
(particularly phosphorus and nitrogen).
Decreased water clarity due to sediments can
lead to reduced water quality in both the St.
Louis River and Lake Superior.
BUI 7. Beach Closing and Body Contact:
Potential sources of microbial contamination
(i.e., fecal coliform) exist. High levels of fecal
coliform is an indicator of detrimental health
effects from total body contact recreation such
as swimming and boating.
BUI 8. Degradation of Aesthetics:
The aesthetic values of some areas have been
impaired due to oil slicks, chemical residues,
taconite pellets or rotting grain residue on the
water.
BUI 9. Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat:
Extensive loss of fish and wildlife habitat due
to land alterations, contaminated sediments,
invasive species, and high sedimentation rates
has impaired fish and wildlife management
goals.
Wisconsin Point DNR Shorebird Sanctuary Piping Plover habitat restoration. Harbor tugboat.
Photo by SLRA Photo by Diane Desotelle
Green Heron on Clough Island.
Photo by Diane Desotelle
Removing pilings in Radio Tower Bay.
Photo by SLRA
St. Louis River Estuary.
Photo by The Nature Conservancy
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Area of Concern
Wastewater Treatment ©
Prior to the 1970s untreated sewage and industrial waste was a significant source of pollution in the St. Louis River.
Water quality conditions improved quickly after the start-up of Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) in
1978. In addition to WLSSD, improvements to the wastewater treatment facility in Superior, Wisconsin eliminated
the daily load of pollutants to the St. Louis River.
Upgrades to wastewater facilities, pipes and holding
tanks have continued in recent years, and water
quality (bacteria and nutrient levels, dissolved
oxygen, etc) has improved as a result.
LEGEND
Restoration Site
Protection Site
Infrastructure
Clough
Island
©
Dwight's
Point
State
Natural
Area
Spirit
Island
Superior Municipal Forest
Stormwater Upgrades
Stormwater runoff from residential and commer-
cial property owners, as wells as streets has been a
major contributor of nonpoint source pollution in
the St. Louis River. Several municipalities, counties,
and other stormwater permit holders have formed
the Regional Stormwater Protection Team (RSPT).
Hie mission of the RSPT is to educate residents and
municipalities on how to prevent stormwater run-
off, thereby reducing the quantity of water and the
amount of pollutants entering nearby waterbodies. WLSSD and the cities of Duluth and Superior have also worked to
prevent the inflow and infiltration of stormwater into sanitary sewers which can cause sewage overflows.
Sargent Creek
Dump Site
a*4ks
prou
eetion Area
Pokegama Carnegie
Wetlands State
Natural Area
WLSSD wastewater treatment plant. Photo by WLSSD
Creek
%
Grassy
Point
©
Mercury Reduction Efforts
Mercury is a persistent toxin that accumulates in the food chain, leading to fish consumption advisories or hazards
for wildlife that consume fish. WLSSD has successfully reduced mercury in wastewater by encouraging industries
to use low to no-mercury chemicals and installing amalgam separators in dental offices. They also run a Household
Hazardous Waste facility to encourage residents to properly dispose of fluorescent light bulbs and thermometers and
other sources of mercury in the home. These actions help reduce the amount of mercury entering the St. Louis River
and the larger environment.
Clean-up of Major Contaminated Sediments
Investment to Date*
¦ Infrastructure ¦ Protection/Restoration ¦ Remediation
Total $420,000,000
* preliminary estimate of strategic investments made in the SLRAOC 1978-2013.
While the discharge of harmful chemicals by industries stopped decades ago, there are sites in the river where these
legacy toxic chemicals still remain in the sediment. Several of these contaminated sites are being addressed by regu-
latory and resource management programs in the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as federal programs.
The state of Wisconsin teamed up with the EPA
through the Great Lakes Legacy Act to clean up
the Hog Island/Newton Creek inlet in 2005.
Additional resources were secured to implement hab-
itat restoration in this area.
Heard ing
Island
St. Louis River Estuary
Area of Concern
Projects
In Minnesota, the Superfund site known as St. Lou-
is River Interlake Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) 0 was
cleaned up and restored in 2011. Plans to address
clean-up of the contaminants at the former U.S. Steel
Duluth Works are now underway via the Great Lakes
Legacy Act.
Superior Wastewater
Treatment Plant ,
10
HP
/
Hog Island-
Newton Creek
Wisconsin
L Point
¦; Water bird
Habitat
7
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