DNR St. Louis River Restoration Initiative, Phase 10
MNDNR's St. Louis River Restoration Initiative (SLRRI) is a collaborative program enhancing and restoring the St. Louis River estuary and contributing watershed. The 11,000-acre estuary is a unique resource of statewide significance. SLRRI's vision includes diverse, productive, and healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the river and watershed. Through SLRRI Phase 10 we will restore an additional 8 acres of priority aquatic and wetland habitat for important fish, game, and Species of Greatest Conservation Need. To date, LSOHC has supported approximately 900 acres of SLRRI habitat restoration, leveraging over $24 million in federal funding.
The SLRRI will restore and enhance priority habitats in the St. Louis River estuary and its watershed. The SLRRI employs a collaborative approach using a network of resource managers, researchers, and key stakeholders. As partners, the MNDNR and MN Land Trust (MLT) have successfully restored wetland, stream and open water aquatic habitats while leveraging significant federal support.
We will continue to restore and enhance 8 acres of aquatic habitat and improve fish passage in approximately 1,600 feet of coldwater stream habitat with an emphasis on the following:
Mud Lake is a warm water fish and migratory bird habitat restoration project. Mud Lake is an estuarine bay and coastal wetland complex. Mud Lake habitat and water quality have been degraded by a railroad causeway that bisects that bay. This project will improve the hydrologic function of Mud Lake and restore coastal marsh habitat. Baseline sampling and project designs are currently in progress. The SLRRI team will work in close coordination with the MPCA, USEPA, and the City of Duluth to restore ecological function to support birds and aquatic life.
Lower Knowlton Creek is a trout stream flowing into the estuary. Upper reaches of Knowlton Creek were previously restored using OHF and Federal appropriations under the St. Louis River AOC program. In the creek's lower reaches, a culvert under the state's Munger Trail is a barrier to both fish and wildlife passage. We will increase connectivity, restore adjacent stream reaches, and improve the resiliency of previous downstream restoration efforts.
In addition to specific projects mentioned above, the SLRRI will continue coordinating with our partners to develop additional projects to improve fish and wildlife populations throughout the estuary and surrounding watershed. Work on project sites previously identified within the SLRRI program will continue.
$2,596,000 the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources to restore and enhance priority aquatic, riparian, and forest habitats in the St. Louis River estuary. Of this amount, up to $140,000 is for an agreement with Minnesota Land Trust. A list of proposed restorations and enhancements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Healthy populations of endangered, threatened, and special concern species as well as more common species - Program monitoring conducted by DNR and other resource management/research partners will evaluate the response of habitat and indicator species at project sites