Contaminated Sediment Studies: St. Louis River Area of Concern

The St. Louis River is the second largest tributary to Lake Superior. The lower estuary culminates in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, which is one of the more heavily used ports on the Great Lakes. In 1987, concerns over environmental quality conditions prompted the designation of the lower St. Louis River as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). This includes the segment from Cloquet, Minnesota to Lake Superior.

• Map of St. Louis River AOC
• Pamphlet on Sediment Quality Conditions in the Lower St. Louis River, Minnesota/Wisconsin

Due to sediment contamination, the St. Louis River AOC has several impaired uses, including degradation of bottom-feeding invertebrate communities, increased incidence of fish tumors and other abnormalities, fish consumption advisories, and restrictions on dredging. Some sediment-derived contaminants also appear to be carried by the water column to Lake Superior, the most pristine Great Lake.

• Lake Superior / Duluth-Superior Harbor Toxics Loading Study (1.5 MB)

The St. Louis River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) progress report provides a three-phase sediment strategy to reduce impairments associated with sediment contamination. This strategy consists of (1) assessment studies to locate sediment hot spots (i.e., areas of elevated contamination), (2) development of hot spot management plans, and (3) implementation of remediation (cleanup) actions.

• To view the RAP progress report, access the St. Louis River Alliance (formerly the St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee-CAC) Web site

Since 1992, the MPCA and its collaborators have conducted several sediment investigations to implement the RAP sediment strategy. These projects have been conducted with the cooperation and financial assistance of either the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or its Great Lakes National Program Office. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fond du Lac Band, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others have conducted their own sediment studies in portions of the St. Louis River AOC. Most of these sediment quality data have been included in Phases I through IV of a GIS-based sediment quality database for the St. Louis River AOC.

The MPCA's Duluth office completed a preliminary sediment quality management plan for the St. Louis River AOC. For further information about refinements to this plan, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-302-6633.

The nonprofit St. Louis River Alliance is a key partner in the RAP process. Their Sediment Contamination Work Group is charged with providing scientific and technical advice on contaminated sediment issues. For more information, access these Web sites:

• St. Louis River Alliance
• St. Louis River Alliance Sediment Contamination Work Group
• Historical meeting minutes of the St. Louis River CAC Sediment Contamination Work Group from November 1995 to May 2000
• Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan and interactive version of the Habitat Plan
• Beneficial Use Impairments in the St. Louis River AOC

Final delisting targets were established in December 2008 for 9 beneficial use impairments. The draft delisting targets were developed through a stakeholder input process facilitated by the St. Louis River CAC, with final delisting targets established by the MPCA and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. For further information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-302-6633.

A Superior Port Land Use plan was completed in June 2003 by the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Committee. This plan includes several sections related to contaminated sediments and the management of dredged materials. An analogous Duluth Port Land Use plan was finalized in October 2005. A management plan for the Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility was completed in 2007.

• To view the Superior Port Land Use Plan, access the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council web site.
• To view the Duluth Port Land Use Plan, access the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council Web site.
• To view the management plan for the Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility, access the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council Web site.

The Harbor Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) is one of two advisory committees to the Metropolitan Interstate Council. The HTAC meets quarterly and brings together a large group of stakeholders to discuss and formulate recommendations addressing issues relevant to the Duluth-Superior Harbor, such as dredged material management. For more information about HTAC, access their Web site at:

• HTAC Web site

A number of streams drain into the St. Louis River AOC. The City of Duluth, the University of Minnesota - Duluth, and their collaborators have assembled a Web site on Duluth's urban streams. The primary goals of this Web site are to enhance public understanding of aquatic ecosystems, to describe the influence of land uses in the watershed on these streams, and to illustrate the importance of these streams to both economic and environmental sustainability.

• Duluth Streams

Information on surface water quality conditions in the St. Louis River AOC can be obtained from the MPCA's Environmental Data Access.

A list of the MPCA's contaminated sediment investigations is below. Assessment and hot spot management-type projects are listed in chronological order from when the grants were received. Unless otherwise noted, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about these studies.

Phase 1 - Assessment Studies:

• Preliminary Assessment of Contaminated Sediments and Fish in the Thomson, Forbay, and Fond du Lac Reservoirs (1.5 MB)
  • Report Appendices (24.2 MB)
    
    
• Survey of Sediment Quality in the Duluth/Superior Harbor: 1993 Sampling Results (5.4 MB)
  • Report Appendices
    
    
• Sediment Assessment of Hot Spot Areas in the Duluth/Superior Harbor (7.7 MB)
  
  
• Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) Surveying, Sampling, and Testing: 1995 and 1996 Sampling Results (report in progress)
  
  
  • The following papers have been published:
    • Crane, J.L., Richards, C., D. Breneman, S. Lozano, and J.A. Schuldt. 2005. Evaluating methods for assessing sediment quality in a Great Lakes embayment. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management 8:323-349.
      
      
    • Peterson, G.S., R.P. Axler, K.B. Lodge, J.A. Schuldt, and J.L. Crane. 2002. Evaluation of a fluorometric screening method for predicting total PAH concentrations in contaminated sediments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 78:111-129.
      
      
    • Breneman, D., C. Richards, and S. Lozano. 2000. Environmental influences on benthic community structure in a Great Lakes embayment. Journal of Great Lakes Research 26:287-304.
    
    
    
• Development of a Framework for Evaluating Numerical Sediment Quality Targets and Sediment Contamination in the St. Louis River Area of Concern. (672 KB)
  • Report Tables and Figures (1.2 MB)
  • Report Appendices
    • Appendix G
      
      
  • The following papers from this project have been published:
    • Crane, J.L. and D.D. MacDonald. 2003. Applications of numerical sediment quality targets for assessing sediment quality conditions in the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Environmental Management 32:128-140.
      
      
    • Crane, J.L., D.D. MacDonald, C.G. Ingersoll, D.E. Smorong, R.A. Lindskoog, C.G. Severn, T.A. Berger, and L.J. Field. 2002. Evaluation of numerical sediment quality targets for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 43:1-10.
      
      
• Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the Duluth/Superior Harbor (data analysis in progress)
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (2.1 MB)
    
    
• Analysis of Sediment Cores to Assess Chlorinated Bornanes and Bornenes in the St. Louis River.
  
  
• Phase I: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern
  
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (4.1 MB)
    • Response to Review Comments
  • Help Section for Database Users
  • Help Section for ArcView 3.x Users
  • The Phase I Microsoft^TM Access 2000 sediment quality database and accompanying ArcView 3.2 projects have been superceeded by the Phase IV work products listed below.
    
    
• Comprehensive Sediment Quality Management Plan for the Lower St. Louis River. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-302-6633.
  
  
  • Phase II: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. For more information about only this work task, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 651-757-2293.
    • Phase II Quality Assurance Project Plan
    • Phase II Help Section for Database Users
    • Phase II Help Section for ArcView Users
    • Phase II Technical Documentation (1.7 MB)
    • Phase II Mean Probable Effect Concentration Quotient Analyses
    • Phase II Environmental Bulletin Article
    • The Phase II Microsoft^TM Access 2000 sediment quality database and Query Manager-compatible database files, as well as the Phase II ArcView 3.2 projects and ArcMap 8.3 map documents have been superceeded by the Phase IV work products listed below.
  • Historical Pollutant Source Identification
  • Sediment Quality Management Plan
    
    
• Phase III: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern - Minnesota Focus.
  • Phase III Quality Assurance Project Plan (1.4 MB)
  • Phase III Addendum to Phase II Help Section for Database Users
  • Phase III Addendum to Phase II Technical Documentation
  • Phase III Overview of Sediment Quality Conditions for the St. Louis River Area of Concern
  • The Phase III Microsoft^TM Access 2000 sediment quality database and Query Manager-compatible database files have been superceeded by the Phase IV work products listed below.
    
    
• Phase IV: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern - Wisconsin Focus. This project was conducted in collaboration with the St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
  • Phase IV Supplement to the Phase II/III Help Sections for Database Users
  • Quick Guide to the Phase IV ArcMap 9.1 Map Documents
  • Phase IV Supplement to the Phase II/III Technical Documentation
  • Pamphlet on Sediment Quality Conditions in the Lower St. Louis River, Minnesota/Wisconsin
  • Phase IV Sediment Quality Report for the St. Louis River Area of Concern
    • Report Tables
    • Report Figures 1-8 (file size = 10 MB)
    • Report Figure 9 (file size = 11 MB)
    • Report Figures 10-17 (file size = 7 MB)
  • Phase IV sediment quality databases available at: ftp://files.pca.state.mn.us/pub/sedimentDB/:
    1. Microsoft™ Access ’97 version: STLR_SED_DB_PH4_97.zip
    2. Microsoft™ Access 2000 version (which contains a user-friendly query interface): STLR_SED_DB_PH4_Finalb.zip
    3. Query Manager-compatible database files: PhIV_STLR_SEDB_QM_Final.zip
  • For a copy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s free Query Manager 2.56 software, access the Watershed Database and Mapping Projects Web page.
  • Phase IV ArcMap 9.1 map documents:
    1. MPCA staff can obtain these GIS files from the Agency X:\drive at: X:\Agency_Files\EAO\Ph_IV_DB_GIS\Final Phase IV GIS Files. Copy the “STLR_GIS Project” subdirectory to the C:drive of your computer.
    2. Stakeholders can obtain a DVD of the GIS files by contacting This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 651-757-2293.
       
       
• St. Louis River AOC Sediment Assessment Project. This two-phase project is being conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through a Partnership Agreement with the MPCA. For further information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-302-6633.
  • Phase I: sediment assessment of Superior Bay, Hearding Island, the Coast Guard area, Slips 2, 3, and C, Rices' Point, and 21st Avenue have been completed (report in progress).
  • Phase II: sediment assessment in the lower river from Grassy Point upstream to the Fund du Lac dam will be conducted in 2011.
• Great Lakes Legacy Act Site Characterization Project. Sediment sampling was completed in October 2010 to assess sediment contamination in the St. Louis River AOC, especially in the vicinity of the 40th Avenue Complex and upstream of Grassy Point. For further information, contact Marc Hershfield at 218-302-6633.

Phase II - Hot Spot Management Plans:

• Sediment Remediation Scoping Project at Slip C in the Duluth Harbor (3.0 MB)
  
  
• Sediment Remediation Scoping Project for Minnesota Slip, Duluth Harbor
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (5.8 MB)
  • Final Report
    • Report Tables
    • Report Figures (14.5 MB)
    • Report Appendices (1.3 MB)
      
      
• Minnesota Slip Sediment Investigation and Remedial Evaluation. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-725-7762.
  • Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan (1.1 MB)
  • Final Report (4 MB)
    • Appendix A
    • Appendix B
    • Appendix C
    • Appendix D
    • Appendix E

Phase III - Remediation Projects:

• Minnesota Slip Feasibility Study. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-725-7762.
• Interlake/Duluth Tar Superfund Site. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-725-7762.
  • Health Consultation. Sediment Operable Unit. St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar National Priority List (Superfund Site), St. Louis, St. Louis County, Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Health Under a Cooperative Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry).
• U.S. Steel Superfund Site. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 218-725-7762.
  • Health Consultation. Technical Review of Discrepancies in 2002 Laser Induced Fluorescence Data, and 2003 and 2004 Analytical Data. St. Louis River Sediments: U.S. Steel Site, Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Health Under a Cooperative Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry).