Miller Creek Urban Trout Stream Restoration

This grant will restore a section of Miller Creek, an urban trout stream located in Duluth, that was straightened many years ago back to its natural channel. The original channel had a lot more sinuosity, or, curviness, than it does now and the straightened creek suffers from erosion and warm temperatures illsuited for trout.
A restored channel will allow the stream to reconnect with its surrounding floodplain, increasing the wetland values of the area. It will also create better habitat for brook trout, decrease the temperature and velocity of the stream (high temperatures stress trout and high velocities cause erosion) and enhance the natural beauty of the area. Most of 2011 will be spent planning the project, including the completion of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, acquiring all necessary permits, and surveying the land. The restoration work will take place during the summer of 2012, accompanied by a project dedication event with tree planting along the newly restored riparian area of the stream. Impaired for high water temperatures, this project will be the first step in formally restoring Miller Creek in an effort to remove it from the State's Impaired Waters list.
This grant also includes some funding to help a business located within the Miller Creek Watershed install a Stormwater Best Management Practice. Several entities in the watershed have installed BMPs already. This watershed is highly developed so mitigating the impacts of heated, polluted stormwater on this designated trout stream is necessary to help restore the health of the creek and maintain its native brook trout population.