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In 2013 the State of
Minnesota ended a project intended to research the mercury problem in the river. The cooperating agencies, including Wisconsin DNR and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, did not agree to end the study. In 2024, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency began the process
634:
reported, "Slowly, steadily, numbers increased as the stocked fish took hold in the river. Five years ago, tribal biologists found their first fry from naturally reproducing sturgeon, a sign that a healthy fish population could grow on its own. Minnesota even began allowing catch-and-release fishing
507:
watershed. Draining 3,634 square miles (9,410 km) of watershed and encompassing a 1,020-square-mile (2,600 km) area, the St. Louis River is the second largest U.S.-based AOC. As the largest tributary to Lake
Superior, the St. Louis River is vital to the regional economy and encompasses the
482:
The
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) was established in 1971 to address serious pollution problems in the lower Saint Louis River Basin. WLSSD's regional wastewater treatment plant began operating in 1978. Within two years, fish populations rebounded and anglers began returning to the
629:
are underway by restoring habitat, stocking the fish, and monitoring their movements. While native to the river at one time, overfishing and pollution nearly wiped them out many years ago. In 1983 the DNR, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa, and others began rebuilding spawning habitat
565:
As shown above, some of these impairments have already been removed. Once all nine
Beneficial Use Impairments have been removed, application can be made for delisting, which means the ecological benefits of the St. Louis River have been restored to an acceptable level.
499:(AOC) is one of 43 AOCs across the Great Lakes designated under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1987. It is a bi-state (Minnesota and Wisconsin) AOC. The AOC boundary includes the lower 39 miles (63 km) of the St. Louis River, from upstream of
487:
to develop a St. Louis River
Watershed Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load, with a goal of obtaining EPA approval in 2027. High levels of mercury in fish tissue have resulted in the issuance of fish consumption guidance by the Minnesota Department of Health.
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The Saint Louis River Trail
Association is planning the construction of a long-distance hiking trail along more than half the length of the river. Construction of the first 36-mile segment began in early 2012, with cooperation from the
410:
as a candidate for a canal linking the
Mississippi River with the Great Lakes. The US Army Corps of Engineers ultimately concluded in 1913 that such a canal would be "inadvisable, infeasible, and impractical".
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Historical industrial use of the river, before the onset of modern environmental laws, has resulted in the degradation of habitat and sediments contaminated with: mercury, dioxins,
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429:, and missionaries of the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a rough trail of steep hills and swamps that began at the foot of the rapids above the neighborhood of
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An impairment of beneficial uses means a change in the chemical, physical or biological integrity of the Great Lakes system sufficient to cause significant
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379:(1685–1749), who was a very active explorer, in the years 1731 and onward. Shortly before his death the king of France in 1749 conferred on him the
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475:, illustrated the polluted state of the Saint Louis River. In 1987, the river became a designated Area of Concern, administered by the
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622:. The river is frequented by those traveling the Minnesota DNR Saint Louis River Water Trail, which has campsites and angling.
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waterways to the west with the Great Lakes to the east. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the St. Louis River competed with
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as a recognition of the importance of his discoveries, and thence the name of the Saint Louis River appears to have come. On
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and the Rainy River. Or they may have traveled southwest up the East
Savanna River, portaged the grueling 6-mile long
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By the mid 20th century, the lower Saint Louis River became one of the most heavily polluted waterways in the state.
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530:. A 1992 Remedial Action Plan determined that nine "beneficial use impairments" existed in the AOC including:
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sites, discharges from wastewater and from landfills, and other point-source discharges within the AOC.
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433:("bottom of the lake") and climbed some 450 feet (140 m) to the present-day city of
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519:(PAHs), and other toxins. Pollutants in the AOC are also due to: historical discharges,
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as a result of significant sediment contamination and habitat loss (see next section).
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1011:"Northern Minn.'s St. Louis River comes back to life, but it's still not in the clear"
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403:
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753:
U.S. Geological Survey. National
Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.
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503:, Minnesota, to its mouth at the Duluth/Superior Harbor and Lake Superior, and the
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595:
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442:
438:
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388:
368:
323:. The largest U.S. river to flow into the lake, it is 192 miles (309 km) in
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332:
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391:'s map (1754), it is called the Rivière du Fond du Lac, and the map by Gilles
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587:
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Saint Louis River Rapids seen from the hanging bridge in Jay Cooke State Park
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U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. Louis River
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221:
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643:; the trail association hopes to have this section completed in 2015.
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Port of Duluth-Superior, an essential port for Great Lakes shipping.
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830:"Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory"
626:
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437:. Above Carlton, travelers proceeded upstream and continued on to
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809:"The Almost-Built Canal: Linking Lake Superior to the Mississippi"
781:
Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance
445:(now a state park), and then paddled on to the Mississippi River.
417:
is located near the mouth of the river and is the site of a canoe
375:(Great-lake River). He notes: "The river was probably so named by
355:
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covers 3,634 square miles (9,410 km). Near the Twin Ports of
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41:
854:"Fish Consumption Guidelines for the General Population, Rivers"
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Excessive Loading of Sediment and Nutrients (removed in 2020)
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Northwest Paper Company discharges sulfite into the river at
835:. Great Lakes Sport Fish Advisory Task Force. Archived from
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used by Native Americans, European explorers, fur traders,
399:'s map (1778) is the earliest to give the present name."
704:
Falls of the St. Louis River, by Whitney & Zimmerman
537:
Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations (removed in 2023)
1069:
630:
and introducing baby sturgeon into the river. In 2016
924:"Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs"
873:. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. July 16, 2013
784:. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota History Society. p.
540:
Fish Tumors and Other Deformities (removed in 2019)
922:Environmental Protection Agency (March 11, 2015).
899:Environmental Protection Agency (March 25, 2015).
377:Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
971:Environmental Protection Agency (July 30, 2024).
728:The Saint Louis River in its upper course in the
1238:
1105:
1060:Great Lakes Areas of Concern: St. Louis River
973:"St. Louis River Area of Concern Information"
555:Beach Closings and Body Contact Restrictions
87:
952:. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resrouces
871:"St. Louis River Area of Concern resources"
558:Degradation of Aesthetics (removed in 2014)
1112:
1098:
1075:Minnesota DNR: St. Louis River Water Trail
991:
716:Loggers at Dalles of the Saint Louis River
653:List of crossings of the Saint Louis River
402:The river was a vital link connecting the
1055:St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee
806:
327:and starts 13 miles (21 km) east of
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692:Dalles of the St. Louis, by R. N. Fearon
573:
490:
452:
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1070:Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
14:
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977:Great Lakes AOCs - St. Louis River AOC
1257:Rivers of St. Louis County, Minnesota
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777:
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894:
892:
890:
888:
663:List of longest streams of Minnesota
1252:Rivers of Douglas County, Wisconsin
1247:Rivers of Carlton County, Minnesota
998:Minnesota DNR: St Louis Water Trail
760:
311:) is a river in the U.S. states of
24:
1080:WI DNR St. Louis River AOC Webpage
1008:
747:
25:
1298:
1050:St. Louis River Trail Association
1043:
1035:St. Louis River Trail Association
979:. Environmental Protection Agency
926:. Environmental Protection Agency
903:. Environmental Protection Agency
885:
561:Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat
343:, the river becomes a freshwater
1085:MPCA St. Louis River AOC Webpage
807:McGuiness, Dan (May–June 2010).
721:
709:
697:
685:
517:polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
359:Saint Louis River drainage basin
66:
59:
40:
27:River in Minnesota and Wisconsin
1002:
964:
950:St. Louis River Area of Concern
938:
477:Environmental Protection Agency
1272:Geography of Duluth, Minnesota
915:
863:
846:
822:
800:
797:(Vol. XVII of MHS Collections)
610:populations. Other species of
385:Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
244: • coordinates
179: • coordinates
13:
1:
740:
569:
151:Physical characteristics
1287:Tributaries of Lake Superior
448:
75:Mouth of the St. Louis River
7:
668:List of rivers of Wisconsin
658:List of rivers of Minnesota
646:
534:Fish Consumption Advisories
234: • location
169: • location
10:
1303:
678:
350:
1136:
528:environmental degradation
513:polychlorinated biphenyls
297:
293:3,634 sq mi (9,410 sq km)
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201:47.5010312°N 91.8307225°W
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145:Douglas County, Wisconsin
132:
118:
108:
103:
83:
54:
46:The Saint Louis River at
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34:
1129:List of Minnesota rivers
730:Superior National Forest
582:The river is fished for
549:Restrictions on Dredging
285:192 miles (309 km)
206:47.5010312; -91.8307225
946:"Remedial Action Plan"
778:Upham, Warren (1920).
757:, accessed May 1, 2012
625:Attempts to introduce
579:
467:Holling Clancy Holling
462:
360:
88:
1065:Minnesota Place Names
901:"St. Louis River AOC"
734:Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota
577:
491:Saint Louis River AOC
456:
371:name of the river is
358:
329:Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota
143:Counties, Minnesota;
1282:Borders of Minnesota
1277:Borders of Wisconsin
495:The St. Louis River
415:Jay Cooke State Park
381:cross of Saint Louis
1267:Rivers of Wisconsin
1262:Rivers of Minnesota
469:, in his 1941 book
408:the St. Croix River
341:Superior, Wisconsin
262: /
197: /
816:Big River Magazine
616:Shorthead Redhorse
580:
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393:Robert de Vaugondy
387:'s map (1688) and
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48:Thomson, Minnesota
1234:
1233:
1211:Saint Louis River
1171:Devil Track River
842:on March 4, 2016.
472:Paddle-to-the-Sea
427:coureurs des bois
404:Mississippi River
337:Duluth, Minnesota
305:Saint Louis River
301:
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35:Saint Louis River
16:(Redirected from
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1226:Temperance River
1216:Split Rock River
1181:Gooseberry River
1176:Encampment River
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592:smallmouth bass
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543:Degradation of
497:Area of Concern
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443:Savanna Portage
439:Lake Vermillion
397:Jonathan Carver
389:Philippe Buache
373:Gichigami-ziibi
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309:St. Louis River
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604:black crappie
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1221:Sucker River
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1206:Poplar River
1201:Pigeon River
1191:Lester River
1146:Beaver River
1030:
1018:. Retrieved
1014:
1004:
993:
981:. Retrieved
976:
966:
954:. Retrieved
949:
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928:. Retrieved
917:
905:. Retrieved
875:. Retrieved
865:
848:
837:the original
824:
815:
802:
789:. Retrieved
780:
773:
762:
749:
673:Pokegama Bay
637:
635:last year."
624:
620:White Sucker
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365:Warren Upham
362:
308:
304:
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271:46.75; -92.1
29:
1186:Knife River
1166:Cross River
1151:Brule River
1123:streams of
1121:North Shore
930:October 11,
907:October 11,
877:October 11,
791:October 19,
431:Fond du Lac
395:(1755) and
269: /
238:West Duluth
204: /
84:Native name
1241:Categories
741:References
612:rough fish
570:Recreation
290:Basin size
192:91°49′51″W
189:47°30′04″N
173:Babbitt SE
1125:Minnesota
521:Superfund
449:Pollution
423:Voyageurs
333:watershed
317:Wisconsin
313:Minnesota
137:St. Louis
127:Wisconsin
123:Minnesota
1015:MPR News
983:July 30,
956:July 30,
647:See also
627:sturgeon
614:include
600:bluegill
515:(PCBs),
483:river.
104:Location
732:, near
679:Gallery
584:walleye
545:Benthos
501:Cloquet
459:Cloquet
435:Carlton
419:portage
351:History
345:estuary
257:92°06′W
254:46°45′N
141:Carlton
109:Country
606:, and
461:, 1973
369:Ojibwe
367:, the
325:length
282:Length
163:
160:Source
133:County
96:Ojibwe
92:
857:(PDF)
840:(PDF)
833:(PDF)
812:(PDF)
222:Mouth
119:State
1022:2018
985:2024
958:2024
932:2019
909:2019
879:2019
793:2018
618:and
339:and
315:and
303:The
139:and
786:476
632:MPR
347:.
1243::
1013:.
975:.
948:.
887:^
814:.
602:,
598:,
594:,
590:,
586:,
425:,
125:,
1131:)
1127:(
1113:e
1106:t
1099:v
1024:.
987:.
960:.
934:.
911:.
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