Restoring Wetland Habitat at Duluth's Grassy
Point
A collaborative effort to restore plant and animal habitat in the St. Louis River Estuary
Grassy Point is an area of over 100 acres of wetland and shallow open water habitat located in the St. Louis River Estuary in Duluth, Minnesota just off the westernmost point of Lake Superior. This wetland complex, which includes shallow water with submergement and emergent plants, shrub swamp and even forested wetland types, is home to a wide variety of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife.
What is Grassy Point and why is it important? Here are some links to
explore for answers:
This important area has been degraded over the years, reducing its value to plants and animals.
Recently, local efforts such as the St.
Louis River Remedial Action Plan and international
efforts such as the Lake
Superior Binational Program have been focusing attention on this and
other areas to protect and restore areas of important plant and animal habitat.
At its most basic level, the Grassy Point Wetland Restoration project is an effort to improve plant
and animal habitat in a degraded wetland by removing waste left over from turn-of-the-century
sawmills. The project was funded by a grant from the Great Lakes National
Program Office
of the Environmental Protection Agency. It began in October of 1994 and cost over $170,000.
More than 11,000 cubic yards of wood waste were removed from the site in March of 1996.
At a more complex level, this project is an effort to restore the ecological health of an area
affected by many human-caused stresses and to foster a sense of citizen stewardship for an
important resource. Activities geared toward accomplishing these broader issues have included
exotic plant controls, wetland monitoring and assessment, additional restoration/mitigation
project design, and improving public access.
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