June/July 1995
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June/July 1995 |
by Brian Fredrickson
Sitting astride two sand spits that form the largest freshwater bay-mouth bar in the world are the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. These two cities, affectionately called the Twin Ports by residents and mariners alike, are situated at the mouth of the St. Louis River on the far western end of Lake Superior. The St. Louis River is the second largest tributary to Lake Superior and serves as the headwaters for the Great Lakes system, a vast inland sea which stretches 2,000 nautical miles from the Twin Ports to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Twin Ports, located 300 kilometers (190 miles) from Thunder Bay, Ontario, are a fitting site for the 1995 Biennial Meeting on Great Lakes Water Quality. As the International Joint Commission has recommended, Lake Superior is the demonstration area to see if society has the resolve to stop the discharge of persistent toxic substances to the Great Lakes. The governments of the United States, Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario are responding to this challenge through a stakeholder-driven process called the Lake Superior Binational Program. For the past four years, this program has endeavored to find ways to protect Lake Superior and to reduce toxic inputs.
A series of stakeholder groups have also been busy restoring and protecting the St. Louis River through the development of a Remedial Action Plan and River Management Plan. Acquisition of shoreline lands and the establishment of a River Watch program are two noteworthy outcomes of these efforts. The Minnesota legislature appropriated $2.2 million to acquire 8,900 hectares (22,000 acres) of land along the St. Louis River. This land is primarily owned by Minnesota Power, a local investor-owned utility company. River Watch engages students and teachers from 25 area schools to monitor water quality in the St. Louis River and around Lake Superior.
Residents of Duluth and Superior have a long history of vigilance and appreciation for Lake Superior and the surrounding environment. Duluths Downtown Waterfront Plan led to the creation of a beautiful park and walkway system along Lake Superior. A leisurely stroll along this boardwalk provides ample opportunity to view ships, people watch, and to see the lakes mysterious moods.
On the other side of the St. Louis River, Superior is in the process of creating a festival park at Connors Point and recently completed a master plan for the use and preservation of the largest municipal forest wholly within a U.S. city. The 1995 inaugural season for Connors Point will include an August fifth concert by Great Lakes musical legend, Gordon Lightfoot. Area activists have also banded together under the umbrella of the Lake Superior Alliance to protect the regions fragile and unique resources. The Lake Superior Alliance publishes a newsletter, sponsors training sessions and provides a forum for the debate of environmental issues.
For more information contact Brian Fredrickson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Duluth Government Center, Suite 704, 320 West Second Street, Duluth, MN 55802. Email bfredrickson@pca.state.mn.us; telephone (218)723-4663; fax (218)723-4727.
Sommaire
Les villes de Duluth (Minnesota) et de Superior (Michigan) sont situées de part et d'autre de deux cordons sablonneux qui forment la plus grande embouchure d'eau douce au monde. Ces deux villes, que les résidents et les marins appellent affectueusement les «Jumelles» se trouvent à l'embouchure de la rivière St. Louis à l'extrémité ouest du lac Supérieur. La rivière Saint-Louis est le deuxième plus important affluent du lac Supérieur. Cela constitue le bassin supérieur d'alimentation du système des Grands Lacs, une vaste mer intérieure où 2000 milles marins séparent les «Jumelles» de l'océan Atlantique.
Les «Jumelles» sont un endroit idéal pour la tenue de la Rencontre biennale sur la qualité de l'eau dans les Grands Lacs. À la recommandation de la Commission mixte internationale, le lac Supérieur constitue le secteur de démonstration qui permetta de constater si la société est résolue à mettre un frein au déversement de substances toxiques rémanentes dans les Grands Lacs. Les gouvernements du Minnesota, du Michigan et de la province de l'Ontario répondent à ce défi en mettant sur pied le Programme binational du lac Supérieur, un processus régi par les différents intervenants au dossier. Au cours des quatres dernières années, ce programme a tenté de trouver des façons de protéger le lac Supérieur et de réduire les déversements de substances toxiques.
Revised: March 20, 1997
Maintained by Kevin McGunagle,
mcgunaglek@ijc.wincom.net