The MPCA is proposing to restore about 350 acres of aquatic habitat toward a shallow, sheltered bay in the 21st Avenue West channel in northeastern St. Louis Bay in Duluth. An Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) on the project is open for comment through Oct. 28.State agencies use an EAW to decide whether a more in-depth Environmental Impact Statement is needed. The worksheet covers site location details, nearby resources and several other elements.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct the construction activities associated with the project. The corps dredge the navigational channels annually, using the dredged sediment to improve aquatic habitat features such as optimal water depth and flow conditions to help establish aquatic vegetation needed to support fish and sediment-dependent organisms. Other habitat improvements will include softened shorelines and shoals or islands to help protect areas in the bay from excessive wave action.The project is taking place within the St. Louis River Area of Concern, one of 43 designated locations in the Great Lakes Basin where historic alterations and contamination impair aquatic life. This project’s goal is to create a healthier ecosystem by adding 350 acres of restored aquatic habitat.Permits and authorization for this work are required by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (work in public waters, invasive species and coastal program), the MPCA (water quality, stormwater construction), the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (Section 106), the USACE (Section 10) and the city of Duluth (floodplain).Comments, which must be in writing, are due by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 to Patrice Jensen, (651-757-2465), MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road N., Saint Paul, MN 55155
