Restoration Project Underway at Radio Tower Bay

DULUTH - From the late 1800s to the early 1900s the Radio Tower Bay was home to two milling operations which over the years dumped slab wood, sawdust and boards into the bay."We have a rare opportunity right now to go back,” Minnesota Land Trust Executive Director Kris Larson said. “Kind of reclaim, restore and readdress some of the wrongs that were done over a hundred years ago." Dredging is one phase of the habitat restoration project."We'll remove that wood, bring the bay down to barometric or a depth that's conducive to have anglers and other boaters come in," said John Lindgren with the Minnesota DNR Fisheries. Dug up wood and sediments will go through a dewatering process and be reused."Reuse at sites such as the DWP site in the city for soccer fields and bike trails,” said Lindgren. “Or perhaps use at the U.S. Steel property as a ground cover to cover up remedial activity." Environmental officials call this $4 million undertaking part of a larger goal, getting the St. Louis River off the list of area of concern sites around the Great Lakes."The estuary is really the lifeline to the lake,” Minnesota DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr said. “Everything that we get out of lake in terms of biomass, fish, shellfish any other live parts is really a result of what happens in the estuary." Other than improving aquatic and wildlife habitat, city leaders believe clean water in Radio Tower Bay will create recreational and economic opportunities."With the restoration of the estuary we are seeing the opportunity to do some redevelopment in western Duluth that we've been talking about for quite a while,” City of Duluth Communications Director Daniel Fanning said. “But we knew this was an important step and an essential step to make that happen." Dredging is expected to wrap up by the end of October mid– November. The bay could be open next year for recreation. Officials are hoping to complete other projects to clean up the St. Louis River estuary within the next six years.