Remediation to Restoration in Great Lakes Areas of Concern

NOAA-Great Lakes Commission
Habitat Restoration Partnership

Habitat restoration in Areas of Concern (AOCs) is a priority for many agencies and organizations across the Great Lakes. These projects contribute substantially to removing Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) and delisting AOCs but also in realizing environmental and economic benefits, and enhancing the quality of life for local and regional citizens. Funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the development of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan has not only expedited restoration of these environmentally degraded areas, it has also increased the number of entities engaged in the restoration of these environmentally degraded areas.

Habitat restoration in areas with a legacy of contamination, often in an urban or industrial setting, can present challenges and uncertainties above and beyond those encountered in traditional restoration projects. Project managers must be quick to address unforeseen issues and where necessary, modify implementation plans. While no two projects are alike, managers could benefit from the sharing of lessons learned to assist in the development of creative, efficient and effective strategies to move forward on the road from remediation to restoration. Currently, few forums exist to provide this type of dialogue and information exchange.

The partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) was established to restore coastal habitat in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC), with site-specific restoration projects in Muskegon Lake, Michigan, and St. Louis River/Hog Island in Wisconsin.

Meeting Challenges;
Sharing Lessons Learned

In 2008 the Great Lakes Commission received funding from National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program to work with local partners to restore coastal habitat and address BUIs)at two Great Lakes AOCs:

• Muskegon Lake, Michigan with the West Michigan
  Shoreline Regional Development Commission
• St. Louis River/Hog Island, Wisconsin with the
  Douglas County Land Conservation Department

These projects were some of the first AOC restoration projects initiated, and are now nearing completion. Project managers are anxious to share the results of their work with others in the AOC community and to help foster information sharing among entities engaged in habitat restoration. GLC will host a webinar for both projects to provide an overview of the AOC, restoration goals and objectives and to highlight the successes, challenges, novel approaches and strategies that kept their projects on track.

NOAA-GLC Partnership Projects
(2008-2012)

NOAA-Great Lakes Commission Habitat Restoration Partnership Webinars: These webinars offer an overview of the restoration work led by the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission and Douglas County, WI Land and Water Conservation Department, which were among the first large-scale AOC remediation to restoration projects initated. The webinars provide information about:

• AOC habitat restoration planning;
• Habitat Restoration goals, objectives, outputs and outcomes; and
• Challenges and successes encountered during project implementation

For more information on the NOAA-Great Lakes Commission Habitat Restoration Partnership Webinars, click here.

Muskegon Lake Restoration: The lower Muskegon River watershed provides habitat for numerous species of waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and fish. Within it lies the Muskegon Lake AOC, a drowned river mouth lake that flows into Lake Michigan at a shoreline that is part of the world’s largest assemblage of freshwater sand dunes. The Muskegon Lake project will restore habitats vital to self-sustaining populations of fish and wildlife. Restoration plans will address delisting targets, which were developed with the goal of improving the AOC to the point where designated BUIs are removed.

Muskegon Lake Partnership Presentation

For more information on the Muskegon Lake Project, click here.

Hog Island Restoration: Hog Island, part of the St. Louis River AOC, is a place of scenic beauty and high ecological value. Located at the headwaters of Lake Superior, at the far western end of the lake within the city of Superior, Wisconsin, the area is regionally important both as an ecological resource and a recreational and scenic amenity. For many years the area has served as a disposal site for dredge spoils, a railway yard, and a repository for industrial byproducts. The long term goal for Hog Island is to restore ecological processes and biodiversity, reduce threats to the long term sustainability of natural communities and implement a compatible recreational plan for the area.

Hog Island Partnership Presentation

For more information on the Hog Island Project, click here.

Great Lakes Areas of Concern

The Great Lakes is a premier national aquatic resource, containing approximately 90 percent of the U.S. supply of freshwater. The geography, surface area, and volume of this freshwater resource have great economic, ecological, and societal importance; making restoration, protection, and sustainable use of the lakes a national priority.

Areas of Concern are watersheds along the Great Lakes suffering from degraded environmental conditions stemming from historic and ongoing pollution. They were designated under the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement based on the presence of beneficial use impairments, such as restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, beach closures, drinking water restrictions, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, etc.

A total of 43 AOCs have been identified in the U.S. and Canada: 26 located entirely within the U.S.; 12 located wholly within Canada; and five that are shared by both countries. Delisting beneficial use impairments and AOCs is a focus of the GLRI Action Plan and significant restoration efforts are currently underway throughout the Great Lakes Basin.

NOAA Habitat Conservation

The NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation protects, restores, and promotes stewardship of coastal and marine habitat to support our nation's fisheries for future generations. Our vision is healthy and sustainable habitat that provides a range of benefits for abundant fish and wildlife, commercial and recreational opportunities, and resilient coastal communities that can withstand hurricanes, flooding, and other threats.