St. Louis River Restoration Initiative - Phase IV
DNR's St. Louis River Restoration Initiative (SLRRI) advanced multiple large-scale habitat restoration projects. ML2017 funds contributed to:
-Removing 300,000 CY of invasive vegetation, sediment, and sawmill waste from the waters of Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point, restoring approximately 230 acres of coastal marsh habitat;
-Restoring five acres of habitat at Interstate Island for a threatened avian species by beneficially using over 52,000 CY of clean sand dredged from navigation channels;
-Seeding approximately 5,000 pounds of manoomin with tribal partners, and
-Developing designs to restore and reconnect two isolated back bays at Perch and Mud Lakes
ML2017 funds advanced the following projects:
Grassy Point and Kingsbury Bay: Project objectives included removing invasive vegetation and sediment from Kingsbury Bay to restore open water wetlands, deeper fish habitat, and coastal marsh. MNDNR beneficially used clean sediment removed from Kingsbury Bay to remediate wood waste impairments at Grassy Point and establish open-water wetland. Legacy sawmill waste was excavated from the river, constructing an island complex to shelter the bay and support upland and littoral habitat. Project designs and specifications were completed by Barr Engineering in 2017-18. MNDNR awarded a construction contract was to Veit, Inc. in April 2019. Project construction began in June 2019 and required three seasons to complete. The project was deemed substantially complete in November 2021. MNDNR used ML2017 funds for project coordination, project design, construction, and construction oversight. The project was constructed with funds from multiple OHF appropriations and non-OHF leverage. Therefore, a portion of the total project acres will be reported with ML2017.
Interstate Island: The project goal was to restore the largest Common Tern nesting colony in the Lake Superior watershed. Objectives included increasing the island's footprint and elevation to protect against flooding, enhancing the tern nesting area, and developing a long-term management plan. ML2017 funds were allocated to the Minnesota Land Trust and used to fund a contract with SEH, Inc. to develop the project design and long-term management plan. Final plans and specifications were completed in February 2020 and the long-term management plan was completed in December 2020. The project was constructed in 2020 using ML2018 funds and non-OHF leverage. Therefore, acres associated with this project will be claimed in the final report for ML2018.
Manoomin: MNDNR works within a larger partnership using a 2014 plan to restore manoomin (wild rice) to the St. Louis River, where it was historically abundant. Using funds from ML2017 and ML2018 appropriations, MNDNR entered into a Joint Powers Agreement with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to restore manoomin in high priority bays. For reporting purposes, the 38 acres seeded using ML2017 and ML2018 appropriations will be reported proportional to funds spent, with 11 acres reported for ML2017 and 28 acres for ML2018. MNDNR continues to participate in the bi-state, multi-agency partnership restoring manoomin.
Perch and Mud Lakes: Project objectives include restoring coastal marsh habitat by removing sediment and increasing the hydrologic connection between the two isolated bays and the St. Louis River. Using ML2017 and ML2018 funds, MNDNR established partnership agreements with the Army Corps of Engineers to develop designs for Perch and Mud Lakes, respectively. ML2017 funds were also allocated to MLT to manage the Perch Lake project and collect baseline data. Perch Lake is currently under construction using other OHF appropriations and non-OHF leverage; construction will be complete in 2023. Mud Lake is currently in the baseline data collection and design phase and is planned for construction using other OHF appropriations and non-OHF leverage in 2024. Acres associated with these projects will be reported under later OHF appropriations.
$3,392,000 in the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources to restore aquatic habitats in the St. Louis River estuary. Of this appropriation, up to $226,000 is for an agreement with Minnesota Land Trust. A list of proposed restorations must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
The 12,000 acre St. Louis River Estuary, at the head of Lake Superior, is a unique Minnesota resource. It is the largest source of biological productivity to Lake Superior as well as the world?s largest freshwater shipping port. The combination of extensive wetlands, warmer waters and the connection to Lake Superior resulted in it becoming the primary source of productivity for the western Lake Superior fishery and a critical flyway for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Nearly two-thirds of the estuary?s native wetlands have been altered, eliminated or impaired as a result of historic impacts of dredging, filling and waste disposal associated with industrial activities. The St. Louis River Restoration Initiative Program targets locations for restorations that will directly benefit species of greatest conservation need, threatened/endangered species, and targeted species by improving habitat quality and extent in strategic locations to maximize benefits to populations.
Completed restorations at Kingsbury Bay and Grassy Point target coastal marsh habitat which provides spawning and nursery habitat for target species such as muskellunge and walleye. Both project designs incorporated deeper habitat benefitting species like northern pike.
The Interstate Island restoration project directly targeted and benefitted two threatened and endangered species by restoring and protecting nesting habitat for the Common Tern (threatened) and stopover habitat for Piping Plover (endangered).
Restoring manoomin provides food and shelter for many fish and is one of the most important foods for waterfowl in North America. Minnesota DNR?s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy lists 17 species of wildlife known as ?species of greatest conservation need? that use wild rice as habitat for reproduction or foraging.
MN Coastal Prog, USEPA-GLRI and NRDA