Browsing by Subject "Chemical contaminants"

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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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    Pre-restoration Assessment of Biological Condition for Radio Tower Bay in the St. Louis River Estuary
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2011) Brady, Valerie; Dumke, Josh; Breneman, Dan
    The St. Louis River originates in northeast Minnesota and the lower 20 miles forms a 4856 ha freshwater estuary along the border with northwest Wisconsin. At the confluence with Lake Superior, the harbor is home to one of the busiest shipping ports on the Great Lakes. Despite more than 100 years of industrial use and urban development in the region, the St. Louis River estuary remains a significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior. Land use alterations through years of residential expansion and active industrial operations have created conditions in the estuary ranging from heavily impacted to those that remain relatively pristine. The estuary provides numerous sand and gravel beaches, islands, upland forests, sheltered bays, wetlands complexes, and other aquatic habitat types deemed essential for maintaining viable fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed was designated an “area of concern” (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989 due to chemical contaminants, poor water quality, reduced fish and wildlife populations, and habitat loss. Nine beneficial use impairments 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 Alliance is a community-sponsored organization that facilitates collaborative efforts associated with the St. Louis River AOC. Following the recommendations of the St. Louis River AOC Stage II Remedial Action Plan, the St. Louis River Alliance 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” (SLRA 2002). The St. Louis River Alliance also facilitated development of “delisting targets” for each beneficial use impairment (BUI) in the St. Louis River AOC in December 2008. Radio Tower Bay is a small (18 ha) bay located in the upper reaches of the estuary near Gary, MN. Radio Tower Bay contains shallow open water, emergent and submergent aquatic vegetation, and is influenced hydrologically by both river currents and seiche activity. Historically, a sawmill operation in the early 1900s left the bay with significant amounts of wood waste and support pilings. The Minnesota DNR (MNDNR) and Minnesota Land Trust (MLT) secured funding from NOAA’s Marine Debris Removal Program to begin the restoration process by removing wood waste, pilings, and abandoned radio tower footings from the site. An adjacent reference location (North Bay) was included in the habitat assessment in order to provide an opportunity to establish comparisons both temporally and spatially regarding a target condition as restoration progresses in Radio Tower Bay. The Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), in cooperation with MLT and MN DNR, sampled Radio Tower Bay and North Bay to establish baseline information benthic macroinvertebrates, adult, juvenile, and larval fish assemblages and accompanying sediment and vegetation types. The project has been informed by previous collaborative efforts among NRRI, MLT, USFWS, MPCA, and MNDNR through the 40th Avenue West and 21st Avenue West remediation-to-restoration efforts.