Browsing by Author "Brady, Valerie"

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21st Avenue West Remediation to Restoration Project: Biological Survey and Hydrodynamic Modeling Results
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2012) Host, George E; Reschke, Carol; Brady, Valerie; Breneman, Dan; Dumke, Josh; Niemi, Gerald J; Austin, Jay; James, Matthew; Johnson, Lucinda B
The lower 21 miles of the St. Louis River, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, form the 4856 ha St. Louis River estuary. Despite the effects of more than 100 years of industrialized and urban development as a major Great Lakes port, the estuary remains the most significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior, and provides important wetland, sand beach, forested, and aquatic habitat types for a wide variety of fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed were designated an “Area of Concern” (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989 because of the presence of chemical contaminants, poor water quality, reduced fish and wildlife populations, and habitat loss. Nine Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) have been identified in the AOC, including: Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat, Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations, Degradation of Benthos, and Fish Tumors and Deformities. The St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee, now the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA), was formed in 1996 to facilitate meeting the needs of the AOC. Following the recommendations of the St. Louis River AOC Stage II Remedial Action Plan, the SLRA completed the Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan (Habitat Plan) in 2002 as “an estuary-wide guide for resource management and conservation that would lead to adequate representation, function, and protection of ecological systems in the St. Louis River, so as to sustain biological productivity, native biodiversity, and ecological integrity.” The SLRA also facilitated development of “Delisting Targets” for each BUI in the St. Louis River AOC in December 2008. The Habitat Plan identified several sites within the AOC with significant habitat limitations. One of these sites, the “21st Avenue West Habitat Complex” (approximately 215 ha; Map 1), was identified by a focus group within the SLRA Habitat Workgroup as a priority for a “remediation-to-restoration” project. The focus group subsequently developed a general description of desired future ecological conditions at the 21st Avenue West Habitat Complex, hereafter referred to as the ‘Project Area’, including known present conditions and limiting factors of the area. In addition, the focus group recommended a process to develop specific plans and actions to achieve the desired outcomes at the site. As the next step toward the creation of an “Ecological Design” for the Project Area, Natural Resource Research Institute researchers, in cooperation with USFWS, USEPA, MPCA, MnDNR, and other partners, sampled the 21st Avenue West site in late summer of 2011 to establish baseline information on vegetation, sediment types, benthic macroinvertebrates, toxins and bird usage of the area. This work will inform development of an ecological design that will allow assessment of restoration scenarios in the Project Area. The project will build on the 40th Ave West Remediation to Restoration effort, which developed an aquatic vegetation model based on depth, energy environment (predicted from a fetch model), water clarity, and other environmental factors. The model allows the evaluation of restoration scenarios involving changes in bathymetry, remediation or enhancement of substrate, reduction in wave energy, and other strategies. In this report we also incorporate a hydrodynamic model of the estuary to inform the ecological design process. Relationships between vegetation and the macroinvertebrate and avian communities will provide information on the efficacy of these strategies in remediating and restoring overall habitat and biological productivity in the 21st Avenue West Habitat Complex. This project was funded under USFWS Cooperative Agreement Number F11AC00517; full details of the project can be found in Attachment 1 of that Agreement.
40th Avenue West Remediation to Restoration Project: Biological Survey Results
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2010-11) Brady, Valerie; Reschke, Carol; Breneman, Dan; Host, George E; Johnson, Lucinda B
The lower 21 miles of the St. Louis River, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, form the 4856 ha St. Louis River estuary. Despite the effects of more than 100 years of industrialized and urban development as a major Great Lakes port, the estuary remains the most significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior, and provides important wetland, sand beach, forested, and aquatic habitat types for a wide variety of fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed were designated an “Area of Concern” (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989 because of the presence of chemical contaminants, poor water quality, reduced fish and wildlife populations, and habitat loss. Nine Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) have been identified in the AOC, including: Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat, Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations, Degradation of Benthos, and Fish Tumors and Deformities. The St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee, now the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA), was formed in 1996 to facilitate meeting the needs of the AOC. Following the recommendations of the St. Louis River AOC Stage II Remedial Action Plan, the SLRA completed the Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan (Habitat Plan) in 2002 as “an estuarywide guide for resource management and conservation that would lead to adequate representation, function, and protection of ecological systems in the St. Louis River, so as to sustain biological productivity, native biodiversity, and ecological integrity.” The SLRA also facilitated development of “Delisting Targets” for each BUI in the St. Louis River AOC in December 2008. The Habitat Plan identified several sites within the AOC with significant habitat limitations. One of these sites, the “40th Avenue West Habitat Complex”（approximately 130 ha; Figure 1), was identified by a focus group within the SLRA Habitat Workgroup as a priority for a “remediation- to-restoration” project. The focus group subsequently developed a general description of desired future ecological conditions at the 40th Avenue West Habitat Complex, hereafter referred to as the ‘Project Area’，including known present conditions and limiting factors of the area. In addition, the focus group recommended a process to develop specific plans and actions to achieve the desired outcomes at the site. As the next step toward the creation of an “Ecological Design” for the Project Area, Natural Resource Research Institute researchers, in cooperation with USFWS, USEPA, MPCA, MnDNR, and other partners, sampled the 40th Avenue West site during the late summer and fall of 2010 to establish baseline information on vegetation, sediment types, benthic macroinvertebrates, and bird usage of the area. Vegetation, macroinvertebrates, and sediment characterization were also completed for five Reference Areas selected by project cooperators. These Reference Areas represent less disturbed locations having high or low wind and wave exposure that can serve to demonstrate restoration potential for the Project Area. This project was funded under USFWS Cooperative Agreement Number 30181AJ68; full details of the project can be found in Attachment 1 of that Agreement.
Amity Restoration Assessment: Water quality, fish, bugs, people
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2013) Axler, Richard P; Brady, Valerie; Ruzycki, Elaine; Henneck, Jerald; Will, Norman; Crouse, A; Dumke, Josh; Hell, Robert V
This project is also a new contribution from the Weber Stream Restoration Initiative (WSRI) that began in 2005 via private endowments to create a Partnership of university scientists and extension educators, and local, state and federal agency staff to restore and protect Lake Superior Basin trout streams (www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/weber/index.html). The WSRI features a demonstration project targeting the turbidity and sediment impaired Amity Creek watershed for multiple restoration activities. It was awarded an Environmental Stewardship Award from the Lake Superior Binational Forum in 2010 and was honored state-wide by the [Minnesota] Environmental Initiative in May 2013 by being awarded the “Partnership of the Year” for its activities, key elements being: (1) its website for local community education about watershed and water resource issues; (2) creation of interactive, on-line animations of real-time water quality with interpretive information from a site near Amity’s discharge into the Lester River just above its discharge into Lake Superior (within the St. Louis River AOC); (3) development of a multi-agency/organization partnership to pursue trout stream restoration and conservation activities throughout the western Lake Superior basin; (4) designing and carrying out two major Amity restoration projects in 2009 with the City of Duluth and South St. Louis SWCD; (5) mapping landscape stressors for highlighting areas of higher risk for environmental impacts as well as conducting a detailed reconnaissance of riparian zone sediment sources for priority remediation (SSL SWCD, 2009); and (6) developing a successful EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project to fund additional restoration related activities from 2010-2014 (MPCA, NRRI-UMD, SSL SWCD partnership, 2010, $843,616).
Aquatic invasive species prevention: getting the best bang for the buck!
(2023) Angell, Nichole; Bajzc, Alex; Brady, Valerie; Campbell, Tim; Doll, Adam; Dumke, Josh; Kinsley, Amy; Keller, Reuben; Phelps, Nicole
Common AIS prevention efforts focus on public education, watercraft inspection, and watercraft decontamination. While these prevention efforts are currently widely implemented, little is understood about the cost-effectiveness of these methods.
Assessment of Habitat and Biota in the West Branch of the Knife River, MN
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2014-03) Dumke, Josh; Brady, Valerie; Hell, Robert V
The Lake Superior Steelhead Association (LSSA) received funding from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council in 2012 to fund multiple project phases on the West Branch of the Knife River. The West Knife has received attention by LSSA due to historic reports of this tributary being important for anadromous rainbow trout (steelhead) reproduction, and because most of this watershed lies within public property. In past decades, this watershed has experienced logging, beaver activity, and barriers to migratory fish passage. In 2013 LSSA worked with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to improve fish passage conditions over the second falls of the Knife River. Mixed tree species were also planted in one beaver impacted meadow, and there are plans to expand the tree planting activities to other areas within the watershed in 2014. Pre-restoration surveys are important for demonstrating the effect of restoration activities. Good documentation of stream condition, and the organisms that live there, allow post-restoration comparisons, assessment of the most cost-effective restoration activities, and the ability to track trends over time. Natural Resources Research Institute staff were hired by LSSA to complete pre-restoration surveys of seven reaches on the West Branch Knife River; five on the main stem and two on tributaries. Fish and stream habitat were surveyed in all reaches, and aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled in two reaches (reaches 2 and 3), with a cursory survey on a third reach (reach 1). The pre-restoration survey revealed that rainbow trout (steelhead) were present in all sampled reaches except the farthest upstream reach, which was apparently inaccessible to migratory fish due to beaver activity downstream. Brook trout were the dominant salmonid in all sampled reaches, and were at the greatest densities in the two small tributaries. One of these tributaries (reach 7) had indications of strong groundwater inputs based on water temperature and specific conductivity. This tributary appears to be an important area for brook trout reproduction and as a nursery for juveniles, but had few pools to hold larger fish. Stream bottom substrates in this tributary had large proportions of sand and silt, which are suboptimal habitat conditions for the aquatic macroinvertebrates that provide food for trout and other fish. Most pool habitats were found in downstream sections of the West Knife main stem that were influenced by beaver (reaches 1 and 2). However, these beaver meadow areas contained more nontrout species, which indicates these reaches may periodically have summer water temperatures above the thermal optimum for trout. The stream bottom in reaches 1 and 2 contained rocks that were surrounded and buried in sands, silts, and clays, reducing the amount of living space (habitat) for fish fry and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Thus, aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in these two reaches were in poorer condition (rated moderate-low) when compared to other North Shore streams NRRI researchers have sampled. Biotic habitat was best in reach 3, followed by reach 5 (both on the main stem, upstream of reaches 1 and 2). Reach 3 had the most young rainbow trout, as well as a nice population of brook trout, but the macroinvertebrate community was not in as good a condition as expected based on the very good habitat conditions. We speculate that the gravels in this reach are easily moved during high flow (flood) events; this lack of stream bottom stability leaves macroinvertebrates (and often fish fry) with few refugia from high flows, causing many of them to be dislodged and washed downstream. We speculate that this issue may be the reason why macroinvertebrate assemblages do not compare as favorably with those of other north shore streams as we expected. Reach 5 was located within a beaver meadow, but our stream measures indicate that the only measureable negative impact was a loss of riparian tree canopy to shade the stream.
Coastal Wetland Monitoring Survey Report: Clough Island
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2014-06) Dumke, Josh; Brady, Valerie; Danz, Nicholas P; Bracey, Annie; Niemi, Gerald J
Better than average water quality at Clough Island wetlands (for chloride and conductivity), as compared to most other SLR estuary wetlands, demonstrates the island's distance from human development. However, these wetlands still are located in the St. Louis River estuary, and thus have poorer quality by many measures than nearby Lake Superior wetlands. In particular, Clough Island wetlands had poorly-developed wet meadow zones compared to Lake Superior wetlands. Most of the Clough Island wetland areas were dominated by an emergent vegetation zone. Submergent vegetation was very patchy, and research by US EPA (Angradi, pers. comm.) found that SAV abundance across the whole estuary varies yearly depending on turbidity levels. In addition, Island wetlands have higher exposure to wind and wave action than do wetlands in secluded bays, which also affects the development of extensive aquatic vegetation beds. Clough wetlands had both high quality and low quality vegetation species, with purple loosestrife and invasive cattail particularly prevalent at 1089. Therefore, floristic quality values were very similar to other estuary sites, but lower than nearby Lake Superior wetlands that had fen components. Clough Island wetland fyke net fish catches were skewed toward warmer water fish (e.g., sunfish) than nearby Lake Superior sites, and water temperatures were substantially higher in the SLR estuary than in Lake Superior wetlands. Clough Island wetland site 1089 also had the most invasive tubenose gobies comprising a fish catch. In contrast, site 1089 had the greatest fish taxa richness. Clough Island wetlands did not provide as much habitat for YOY fish as did highly vegetated, secluded bays. Site 1102 had the greatest number of habitats and included a floating bog mat. Thus, macroinvertebrate richness was highest at site 1102, and more sensitive macroinvertebrates were present at this site. Site 1201 had the fewest habitats, and it had the lowest taxa richness for fish and macroinvertebrates (although sampling effort was also lowest at this site due to the lack of habitats). An invasive, non-native snail (Bithynio, the faucet snail) was found in all wetlands, but made up 7% of the macroinvertebrates collected from site 1201. This was different from nearby Lake Superior wetlands, in which no invasive macroinvertebrates were found. Bird use at Clough Island was different in some ways from other estuary wetlands. Wind and wave exposure and lack of protection may explain why migrating waterfowl and waterbirds were less commonly observed at Clough Island wetlands relative to other estuary wetlands. However, the island's isolation, lack of human usage, and potential for lower numbers of predators may benefit breeding birds, and forest-dwelling songbirds that were detected in large numbers during the breeding season. This idea is reinforced by the detection of secretive marsh birds and the foraging by Common Tern.
Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District Biological Sampling for the Poplar River Quality Assurance Project Plan
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2007) Breneman, Dan; Brady, Valerie; Johnson, Lucinda B
Benthic macroinvertebrate and habitat sampling evaluations will be conducted at locations chosen to represent the most common instream and riparian conditions. A best effort was made to minimize bias from either direct or indirect landscape alterations when selecting sampling locations. Sampling sites outlined below (see Bl. Study Design) are proposed based on several parameters (e.g., biological, geomorphological, etc.), but logistical considerations including best available access will influence site selection. Sampling protocols will follow standard operating procedures outlined by the NRRI-UMD Microscopy Laboratory standard operating procedures for field collection, laboratory sample processing, and data analysis (NRRI/TR-1999/37). All procedures outlined in the NRRI document are subject to change to respond to MPCA guidance and field conditions.
Data in support of Quantifying the effectiveness of three aquatic invasive species prevention methods
(2023-05-04) Angell, Nichole R; Campbell, Tim; Brady, Valerie; Bajcz, Alex; Kinsley, Amy; Doll, Adam; Dumke, Josh; Keller, Reuben; Phelps, Nicholas BD; nangell@glc.org; Angell, Nichole R; Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC)
Efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been widely implemented at many scales to mitigate economic and environmental harms. Boater education, watercraft inspection, and hot water decontamination are popular strategies for prevention of AIS moving through the recreational boating pathway. However, few studies have actually quantified the effectiveness of these strategies under field conditions. We estimated their effectiveness based on the performances of boaters, watercraft inspectors, and hot water decontaminators. Participants (n=144) were recruited at 56 public water access sites in Minnesota and 1 in Wisconsin. Each participant was asked to inspect and remove AIS from a boat staged with macrophytes, dead zebra mussels, and spiny water fleas. The types and amounts of AIS removed were used to estimate the effectiveness of each prevention method. We observed that removal varied by type of AIS, with macrophytes being most commonly removed for all participants. There were also regional (metro and outstate) differences for some species perhaps due to awareness and education. Hot water decontamination was the most effective (83.7%) intervention but was not significantly better at reducing risk of spread than was watercraft inspection (79.2%). Boaters were less effective at AIS removal (56.4%). Our results suggest that watercraft inspection is an effective prevention method for most boats, and that hot water decontamination is an important tool for high-risk boats. However, robust decontamination protocols are difficult to effectively execute. Furthermore, our results provide insights into how to increase boater awareness of often-overlooked locations and help reduce risk when inspectors cannot be present at a public water access site.
Developing a Diagnostic Tool for Assessing Excessive Sediment Harm to Stream Communities
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2013) Brady, Valerie; Herrera, Larissa
Excess sediment is a top cause of impairment in U.S. rivers and streams. A number of streams on the north shore of Lake Superior’s western arm are on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s impaired waters list due to turbidity problems. The underlying geology of the north shore, in addition to the steep slopes of the Lake Superior escarpment, forms a stream base vulnerable to erosion and excessive sediment deposition in streams. This vulnerability is created, at least in part, by an area of clay loam soil that many north shore stream channels intersect as they come down the escarpment to the shore of Lake Superior. The steep slopes cause high stream velocities which, combined with the high erodability of this soil layer, create high erosion potentials, particularly on outside channel bends. The increased fine sediments traveling through and accumulating in stream substrates potentially presents several problems for aquatic biota. Excess sediment deposits reduce habitat space for aquatic macroinvertebrates, which are vital components of the food web. In addition to potentially decreasing food sources for fish, the excess sediment deposits can bury fish spawning habitats. Even if the fish can clean off nesting areas, they will expend extra energy doing so. There are many stream condition indicators using stream fish or macroinvertebrates, but none address excess sediment specifically. In many areas of the country there are any number of human‐caused stressors affecting stream condition, including agricultural runoff, high stormwater discharges, loss of stream shoreline habitat, deforestation, development, and industrial discharges. When there are many stressors impacting streams, it is hard to differentiate among them to determine which stressors are creating which problems for stream biota. While some north shore streams have non‐turbidity impairments, there are considerably fewer than in other parts of the country. The dominance of erosion‐based impairments provided the opportunity to develop an indicator diagnostic of excessive sediment deposition in stream substrate as the cause of biotic impairment in north shore streams. We selected stream macroinvertebrates for indicator development for several reasons. They are less mobile than fish, meaning that they have limited ability to escape from disturbance, and even more limited ability to return after a disturbance ceases (at least until the next generation begins). Macroinvertebrates are easy to collect, are present in relatively high abundances, and have high morphological diversity. For all of these reasons, macroinvertebrates are commonly used in stream condition assessments, and their use is ubiquitous across the US and across agencies. Because most agencies collect stream macroinvertebrate information already, their use to create a diagnostic indicator could allow agencies and managers to get more information out of data they already have, without the need for additional sampling. The goal of this project was to develop a suite of stream macroinvertebrate metrics diagnostic of invertebrate community impairment caused by excessive fine sediment deposition in stream substrate; in other words, burial or partial burial of streambed rocks by sand, silt, and clay. Such a diagnostic tool would aid managers in their stream assessment work. While similar projects have been previously attempted (and failed) in other parts of the country, most have been in areas suffering from a number of stressors, making development of an indicator diagnostic of just sediment impairment more difficult. Our hope in attempting such work using north shore streams was that the relative lack of other stressors in northeastern Minnesota would make the development of such an indicator more possible. Having such an indicator should help agencies make a stronger connection between the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) turbidity measurements and sediment deposition presumed to be causing harm to stream biota.
Duluth Residential Stormwater Reduction Demonstration Project for Lake Superior Tributaries
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2011) Kleist, Chris; Brady, Valerie; Johnson, Lucinda B; Schomberg, Jesse
We used paired 2‐block street sections in the Amity Creek watershed (Duluth, MN) to demonstrate the effectiveness of homeowner BMPs to reduce residential stormwater flow to storm sewers in an older neighborhood in a cold climate on clay and bedrock geology. Runoff from each street was measured before and after installation of stormwater BMPs. In addition, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of residents were measured before and after BMP installation. BMPs were installed on properties of willing residents of one street (“treatment”). Most residents (22 of 25 properties) willingly participated. 250 trees and shrubs were planted; 22 rain barrels were installed; 5 rain gardens, 12 rock‐sump storage basins, and 2 swales were constructed; and a stormwater ditch was re‐dug and had 5 ditch checks installed in it. The post‐project survey indicated an increase in understanding by treatment‐street residents of where stormwater flowed to and what it affected, and an increase in willingness to accept at least some responsibility for stormwater runoff. Residents who received BMPs were generally satisfied with them and would recommend them to others. Runoff reduction proved more difficult to quantify due to high and inconsistent runoff variability between the paired streets, very few pre‐BMP installation rain events, and loss of one control street due to re‐paving mid‐project. Capacity of installed BMPs is approximately 2.5% of the measured stormwater runoff. There is about a 20% greater reduction in runoff for the treatment street after BMPs were installed than for the control street for small to moderate storm events; while we would like to attribute this completely to our BMPs, we cannot prove that other factors weren’t also at work. Peak flows also appear to have been reduced for 1 inch and smaller rainstorms, but we were unable to accurately measure this reduction. The results are available on an existing stream education website and are used to educate neighborhood, city of Duluth, and regional residents on stormwater issues, individual responsibility, and BMP options.
Duluth Residential Stormwater Reduction Demonstration Project for Lake Superior Tributaries
(2011-07-30) Kleist, Chris; Brady, Valerie; Johnson, Lucinda B; Schomberg, Jesse
We used paired 2‐block street sections in the Amity Creek watershed (Duluth, MN) to demonstrate the effectiveness of homeowner BMPs to reduce residential stormwater flow to storm sewers in an older neighborhood in a cold climate on clay and bedrock geology. Runoff from each street was measured before and after installation of stormwater BMPs. In addition, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of residents were measured before and after BMP installation. BMPs were installed on properties of willing residents of one street (“treatment”). Most residents (22 of 25 properties) willingly participated. 250 trees and shrubs were planted; 22 rain barrels were installed; 5 rain gardens, 12 rock‐sump storage basins, and 2 swales were constructed; and a stormwater ditch was re‐dug and had 5 ditch checks installed in it. The post‐project survey indicated an increase in understanding by treatment‐street residents of where stormwater flowed to and what it affected, and an increase in willingness to accept at least some responsibility for stormwater runoff. Residents who received BMPs were generally satisfied with them and would recommend them to others. Runoff reduction proved more difficult to quantify due to high and inconsistent runoff variability between the paired streets, very few pre‐BMP installation rain events, and loss of one control street due to re‐paving mid‐project. Capacity of installed BMPs is approximately 2.5% of the measured stormwater runoff. There is about a 20% greater reduction in runoff for the treatment street after BMPs were installed than for the control street for small to moderate storm events; while we would like to attribute this completely to our BMPs, we cannot prove that other factors weren’t also at work. Peak flows also appear to have been reduced for 1 inch and smaller rainstorms, but we were unable to accurately measure this reduction. The results are available on an existing stream education website and are used to educate neighborhood, city of Duluth, and regional residents on stormwater issues, individual responsibility, and BMP options.
An Ecological Design for the 21st Avenue West Remediation-to-Restoration Project
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2013) Host, George E; Meysembourg, Paul; Reschke, Carol; Brady, Valerie; Niemi, Gerald J; Bracey, Annie; Johnson, Lucinda B; James, Matthew; Austin, Jay; Buttermore, Elissa
The lower 21 miles of the St. Louis River, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, form the 4856 ha St. Louis River estuary. Despite the effects of more than 100 years of industrialized and urban development as a major Great Lakes port, the estuary remains the most significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior, and provides important wetland, sand beach, forested, and aquatic habitat types for a wide variety of fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed were designated an 'Area of Concern' (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989, listing nine beneficial use impairments (BUIs), such as loss of fish and wildlife habitat, degraded fish and wildlife populations, degradation of benthos, and fish deformities. To address these BUIs, the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA) completed the Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan, which identified ecosystems and sites with significant habitat limitations due to contaminated sediments and other unknown factors. The 21st Avenue West Habitat Complex is one of several priority sites for a 'Remediation-to-Restoration' (R-to-R) project. The intent of the R-to-R process is to implement remediation activities to address limiting factors such as sediment contamination while also implementing restoration projects that best complement the desired ecological vision. This report documents the initial steps in the R-to-R process underway at 21st Avenue West, the development of an “Ecological Design” for the project area, and a preliminary evaluation of factors potentially limiting the realization of habitat and other land use goals. To establish the basis for this ecological design, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), in cooperation with U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and other partners, sampled the project area from late summer 2011 through fall 2012. The intent of field sampling was to establish baseline information on vegetation, benthos, birds, sediment contamination and types, and ecotoxicology. The subsequent ecological design effort will explore options to increase the overall footprint of quality aquatic vegetation beds and spawning habitat available, soften and extend shorelines, and remove or reduce the effect of industrially-influenced substrates. These options will be presented to adjacent landowners, as well as local and regional stakeholders, to contribute to the discussion on R-to-R options. The desired outcome of the project is to significantly increase the biological productivity of this complex of river flats and sheltered bays, in fulfillment of the SLRA Habitat Plan (SLRA 2002), while minimizing the risk of exposure of contaminants to fish and wildlife resources. This project was funded under USFWS Cooperative Agreement Number F11AC00517, and is part of the USFWS Environmental Contaminants Program’s goal to address contaminant-related needs of the St. Louis River Area of Concern as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
An Ecological Design for the 40th Avenue West Remediation-to-Restoration Project
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2012) Host, George E; Meysembourg, Paul; Brady, Valerie; Niemi, Gerald J; Bracey, Annie; Reschke, Carol; Johnson, Lucinda B
The lower 21 miles of the St. Louis River, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, form the 4856 ha St. Louis River estuary. Despite the effects of more than 100 years of industrialized and urban development as a major Great Lakes port, the estuary remains the most significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior, and provides important wetland, sand beach, forested, and aquatic habitat types for a wide variety of fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed were designated an 'area of concern' (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989 because of the presence of chemical contaminants, poor water quality, reduced fish and wildlife populations, and habitat loss. Nine beneficial use impairments (BUIs) have been identified in the AOC, including: loss of fish and wildlife habitat, degraded fish and wildlife populations, degradation of benthos, and fish tumors and deformities. The St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee, now the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA), was formed in 1996 to facilitate meeting the needs of the AOC. Following the recommendations of the St. Louis River AOC Stage II Remedial Action Plan, the SLRA completed the Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan (Habitat Plan) in 2002 as 'an estuary-wide guide for resource management and conservation that would lead to adequate representation, function, and protection of ecological systems in the St. Louis River, so as to sustain biological productivity, native biodiversity, and ecological integrity.' The SLRA also facilitated development of 'delisting targets' for each BUI in the St. Louis River AOC in December 2008. The Habitat Plan identified several sites within the AOC with significant habitat limitations. One of these sites, the '40th Avenue West Habitat Complex' (approximately 130 ha; Figure 1), was identified by a focus group within the SLRA habitat workgroup as a priority for a 'remediation-to-restoration' project. The purpose of the 'remediation to restoration' process is to implement remediation activities to address limiting factors such as sediment contamination, followed by restoration projects that best complement the desired ecological vision. The focus group developed a general description of desired future ecological conditions at the 40th Avenue West Habitat Complex, hereafter referred to as the 'project area,' including known present conditions and potential limiting factors of the area. In addition, the focus group recommended a process to develop specific plans and actions to achieve the desired outcomes at the site. This report documents the first step in the 'remediation-to-restoration process being implemented at the '40th Avenue West Habitat Complex,' the development of an 'Ecological Design' for the project area, and a preliminary evaluation of those factors potentially limiting the realization of those habitat and other land use goals. This report is intended to serve as a basis for a subsequent feasibility study in which remediation alternatives will be evaluated along with restoration alternatives, which may achieve the habitat goals noted here. This project was funded under USFWS Cooperative Agreement Number 30181AJ68, and is part of the USFWS Environmental Contaminants Program's goal to address contaminant-related needs of the St. Louis River Area of Concern as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. To establish the basis of an 'ecological design' for the project area, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resource Research Institute (NRRI), in cooperation with USFWS, USEPA, MPCA, MNDNR, and other partners, sampled the project area from the late summer 2010 through spring 2011 to establish baseline information on sediment contamination, ecotoxicology, vegetation, sediment types, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish assemblage, and bird usage of the area. Vegetation, macroinvertebrates, and sediment characterization were also completed for five reference areas selected by project cooperators. These reference areas represent less disturbed locations having high or low wind and wave exposure that can serve to demonstrate restoration potential for the project area.
Effects of Water Level Fluctuations and Regulation on Upper Great Lakes Nearshore Ecosystems: An Annotated Bibliography
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2009-07) Brady, Valerie; Ruzycki, Elaine
This is an annotated bibliography of literature relating to the effects of water level fluctuations on ecosystems and biota of the Laurentian Great Lakes. This report was created in support of investigations into the potential ecosystem effects of altering the water level regulation of Lake Superior at the St. Marys River lock and dam system. Because such a change would most affect lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron, we tried to concentrate on these lakes. However, we have included quite a bit of literature from lakes Erie and Ontario, where there has been more investigation of water level fluctuations (or lack thereof) and water level regulation. We have also included pertinent literature from around the world on effects of water level fluctuations in large lake and reservoir systems, primarily because of the paucity of pertinent literature for the upper Great Lakes.
Environmental Indicators for the Coastal Region of the U.S. Great Lakes
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2006) Niemi, Gerald J; Axler, Richard P; Brady, Valerie; Brazner, John; Brown, Terry; Ciborowski, Jan H; Danz, Nicholas P; Hanowski, JoAnn M; Hollenhorst, Thomas; Howe, Robert; Johnson, Lucinda B; Johnston, Carol A; Reavie, Euan D; Simcik, Matthew; Swackhamer, Deborah L.
The goal of this research collaboration was to develop indicators that both estimate environmental condition and suggest plausible causes of ecosystem degradation in the coastal region of the U.S. Great Lakes. The collaboration consisted of 8 broad components, each of which generated different types of environmental responses and characteristics of the coastal region. These indicators included biotic communities of amphibians, birds, diatoms, fish, macroinvertebrates, and wetland plants as well as indicators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) photo-induced toxicity and landscape characterization. These components are summarized below and discussed in more detailed in 5 separate reports (Section II). Stress gradients within the U.S. Great Lakes coastal region were defined from 207 variables (e.g., agriculture, atmospheric deposition, land use/land cover, human populations, point source pollution, and shoreline modification) from 19 different data sources that were publicly available for the coastal region. Biotic communities along these gradients were sampled with a stratified, random design among representative ecosystems within the coastal zone. To achieve the sampling across this massive area, the coastal region was subdivided into 2 major ecological provinces and further subdivided into 762 segment sheds. Stress gradients were defined for the major categories of human-induced disturbance in the coastal region and an overall stress index was calculated which represented a combination of all the stress gradients. Investigators of this collaboration have had extensive interactions with the Great Lakes community. For instance, the Lake Erie Lakewide Area Management Plan (LAMP) has adopted many of the stressor measures as integral indicators of the condition of watersheds tributary to Lake Erie. Furthermore, the conceptual approach and applications for development of a generalized stressor gradient have been incorporated into a document defining the tiered aquatic life criteria for defining biological integrity of the nation’s waters. A total of 14 indicators of the U.S. Great Lakes coastal region are presented for potential application. Each indicator is summarized with respect to its use, methodology, spatial context, and diagnosis capability. In general, the results indicate that stress related to agricultural activity and human population density/development had the largest impacts on the biotic community indicators. In contrast, the photoinduced PAH indicator was primarily related to industrial activity in the U.S. Great Lakes, and over half of the sites sampled were potentially at risk of PAH toxicity to larval fish. One of the indicators developed for land use/land change was developed from Landsat imagery for the entire U.S. Great Lakes basin and for the period from 1992 to 2001. This indicator quantified the extensive conversions of both agricultural and forest land to residential area that has occurred during a short 9 year period. Considerable variation in the responses were manifest at different spatial scales and many at surprisingly large scales. Significant advances were made with respect to development of methods for identifying and testing environmental indicators. In addition, many indicators and concepts developed from this project are being incorporated into management plans and U.S. 8 EPA methods documents. Further details, downloadable documents, and updates on these indicators can be found at the GLEI website - http://glei.nrri.umn.edu.
Environmental Indicators for the US. Great Lakes Coastal Region
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2006) Niemi, Gerald J; Axler, Richard P; Brady, Valerie; Brazner, John; Brown, Terry; Ciborowski, Jan H; Danz, Nicholas P; Hanowski, JoAnn M; Hollenhorst, Thomas; Howe, Robert; Johnson, Lucinda B; Johnston, Carol A; Reavie, Euan D; Simcik, Matthew; Swackhamer, Deborah L.
The goal of this research collaboration was to develop indicators that both estimate environmental condition and suggest plausible causes of ecosystem degradation in the coastal region of the U.S. Great Lakes. The collaboration consisted of 8 broad components, each of which generated different types of environmental responses and characteristics of the coastal region. These indicators included biotic communities of amphibians, birds, diatoms, fish, macroinvertebrates, and wetland plants as well as indicators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (P AH) photo-induced toxicity and landscape characterization. These components are summarized below and discussed in more detailed in 5 separate reports (Section II). Stress gradients within the U.S. Great Lakes coastal region were defined from 207 variables (e.g., agriculture, atmospheric deposition, land use/land cover, human populations, point source pollution, and shoreline modification) from 19 different data sources that were publicly available for the coastal region. Biotic communities along these gradients were sampled with a stratified, random design among representative ecosystems within the coastal zone. To achieve the sampling across this massive area, the coastal region was subdivided into 2 major ecological provinces and further subdivided into 762 segment sheds. Stress gradients were defined for the major categories of human-induced disturbance in the coastal region and an overall stress index was calculated which represented a combination of all the stress gradients. Investigators of this collaboration have had extensive interactions with the Great Lakes community. For instance, the Lake Erie Lakewide Area Management Plan (LAMP) has adopted many of the stressor measures as integral indicators of the condition of watersheds tributary to Lake Erie. Furthermore, the conceptual approach and applications for development of a generalized stressor gradient have been incorporated into a document defining the tiered aquatic life criteria for defining biological integrity of the nation's waters. A total of 14 indicators of the U.S. Great Lakes coastal region are presented for potential application. Each indicator is summarized with respect to its use, methodology, spatial context, and diagnosis capability. In general, the results indicate that stress related to agricultural activity and human population density/development had the largest impacts on the biotic community indicators. In contrast, the photoinduced P AH indicator was primarily related to industrial activity in the U.S. Great Lakes, and over half of the sites sampled were potentially at risk of P AH toxicity to larval fish. One of the indicators developed for land use/land change was developed from Landsat imagery for the entire U.S. Great Lakes basin and for the period from 1992 to 2001. This indicator quantified the extensive conversions of both agricultural and forest land to residential area that has occurred during a short 9 year period. Considerable variation in the responses were manifest at different spatial scales and many at surprisingly large scales. Significant advances were made with respect to development of methods for identifying and testing environmental indicators. In addition, many indicators and concepts developed from this project are being incorporated into management plans and U.S. EPA methods documents.
Evaluation of Problems and Solutions relating to Stormwater Runoff from Roadside Ditches
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2008) Brady, Valerie; Breneman, Dan
Ditches along roads in rural areas are a dominant conveyor of stormwater to streams along the north shore. Loss of forest cover as well as increased rural development can increase runoff amounts, but ditches provide the structure that moves this water quickly to nearby stream channels (Forman and Alexander 1998, Wemple et al. 1996). Ditches capture overland flow from nearby forests, wetlands, homes, and businesses in rural areas and channel the flows to discharge points, often into streams (e.g., Duke et al. 2006). Much of this runoff would have otherwise infiltrated into the ground, evaporated, drained into wetlands, or flowed slowly across the landscape until reaching a natural stream channel (Forman and Alexander 1998). The result is more water reaching streams much faster after rainfall events (Trombulak and Frissell 2000). The resulting high stream flows during and after storms can increase the erosion of susceptible clay banks, increase bank failure rates, damage aquatic habitats, and impair water quality (Forman and Alexander 1998, Wemple et al. 1996). Road runoff and excess sediment are then delivered to the sensitive nearshore zone of oligotrophic Lake Superior. Eleven north shore streams are currently on the state’s impaired waters list for turbidity (http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/tmdl-303dlist.html), and evaluations on both the Knife and Poplar rivers have indicated that increased flows and bank erosion are major contributing factors (Brady and Breneman 2007, 2008). We have also recently seen an increase in the frequency of large rainfall events, consistent with climate change predictions for this region, indicating that the need for runoff control will only increase in importance. Despite their critical role, ditches are seldom the target of active runoff management programs. Governmental officials who are responsible for ditches in the region have not had the resources and techniques available to address this issue comprehensively, even though ditch maintenance and culvert repair often use up large amounts of local government road budgets, and local and state governments (LGUs) are actively seeking solutions to ditch issues. We brought together a cross-section of experts on rural road and ditch issues to identify the role of ditches in protecting water quality, enumerate the most pressing issues and problems with existing ditches, identify ditch stormwater best management practices (BMPs), and prioritize research, technical, and educational needs on ditch runoff management for the North Shore. The outcomes of this project identify the major ditch problems in northeastern Minnesota, identify appropriate BMPs to solve these problems, the obstacles to the installation of these BMPs, and suggest solutions to overcoming these obstacles. We also identify needed research on ditch BMPs and suggest next steps for improving ditches so that they can help protect our streams and our coast.
Field Guide for Maintaining Rural Roadside Ditches
(2014) Brady, Valerie; Axler, Richard P.; Schomberg, Jesse
Great Lake Environmental Indicators (GLEI) Standard Operating Procedures: Fish and Invertebrate Community Sampling
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2003-05-21) Breneman, Dan; Brady, Valerie; Johnson, Lucinda B; Ciborowski, Jan H
Great Lakes Coastal Diatoms
(2014-06-13) Reavie, Euan D; Brady, Valerie; akireta@nrri.umn.edu; Kireta, Amy R; Natural Resource Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth
A Great Lakes Environmental Indicators (GLEI) project. Diatom community data were collected from periphytic substrates at approximately 0.5-3.0 m depths along two different land-use transects from more than 200 wetlands, bays, and high energy sites on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes coastline. Collections included four within-site replicates and approx. 10 percent re-sampling over a three year period. Additionally, approximately 25 offshore, open water samples were collected from surface sediment at depths up to 30 m. The data link with other GLEI datasets to provide water chemistry, site, and landscape information. This study represents the most extensive synoptic diatom dataset of the Great Lakes and includes both undescribed species and species that have not been previously identified in the Great Lakes. The major goal of this GLEI subproject was to develop diatom ecological indicators, and these indicators are presented in a number of publications. The diatom data in this database include the complete raw counts from all samples that were enumerated under the GLEI program, as well as corresponding (condensed) environmental data that were used to develop the indicators.

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