EVENTS
Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, 10am CT
Zoom Community Meeting
Mannomin Restoration in the St. Louis River Estuary
by Matt Steiger, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, Wisconsin DNR
This presentation will describe the challenges and success of the extensive restoration and partnership to restore the St. Louis River Estuary wild rice beds and wildlife habitat after 150 years of commercial use from logging and mining. This legacy of historic commercial uses of the estuary disrupted and altered these natural habitats, as shorelines and near shore areas were dredged and developed, and chemical contamination impacted the waters.
The St. Louis River Estuary is a unique, 12,000-acre wetland complex between Duluth, MN and Superior, WI. Here, water from the St. Louis River mixes with the water from Lake Superior, producing conditions that result in an incredible amount of biological productivity. Numerous species of fish, birds, and other wildlife depend on the Estuary for their survival. The Estuary also includes the Duluth Superior Harbor, mid-America’s gateway to global trade and the nation’s busiest freshwater harbor. More than a quarter million residents and 3.5 million tourists live, work and visit the area every year.
Over a dozen local, state and federal entities are involved in the recovery of the St. Louis River. Partners in restoration include the City of Duluth, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, 1854 Treaty Authority, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and many more.
Matt Steiger, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, Wisconsin DNR, will speak of the hard work, challenges, success, and ongoing research to restore Manoomin to the Estuary. He will be outlining the progress that has been made in bringing a significant amount of Manoomin back to the estuary and how we have integrated education, outreach and research into the work.
Register for the meeting to receive the Zoom link at https://tamarackwateralliance.org/php/eventreg.php?eid=16 or Contact Us.