Be a voice for the river, support the St. Louis River Alliance.
2026 Highlights
The St. Louis River is more than just a river — it’s the heartbeat of our community, a safe haven for wildlife, and a place where we come together to connect and explore. During our 2026 Fall Membership Drive, beginning October 19 to December 10, 2026, we invite you to support the work of the St. Louis River Alliance and our mission to protect, restore, and connect our community to this vital water source.
When you become a member or renew during the membership drive, you will be entered into a drawing to win a guided kayak tour for up to 6 people OR a river pontoon boat rental from Spirit Lake Marina (fuel not included). Refer a friend, and you’ll be entered again. You must reserve the trip during the summer of 2027.
Below are a few of our 2026 highlights and accomplishments, and some great reasons to support our work.
Stewardship + Recreational Events
The more people who experience and love the St. Louis River, the better it will be cared for.
In 2026, SLRA hosted 20 free recreational events to help connect hundreds of community members of all ages back to the water.
Some of these events included:
Trip Planning and River Orientation on the National Water Trail
River Revival events (monthly connection events in Superior, WI)
Community Feedback sessions for the 44th Ave E Waterfront Access in Superior, WI
The St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA) focuses on listening and community engagement as a central part of our work. By hearing stories from people who know and love the river, we connect to history, understand the present, and imagine the river’s future.
Working with agency partners like the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), SLRA encourages community input on restoration, conservation, and recreation efforts in areas such as Allouez Bay and Wisconsin Point. Whether you fish, paddle, hike, birdwatch, or simply enjoy the view, your voice helps shape the river’s future.
SLRA developed the River Revival series in partnerships with the WDNR and Minnesota Land Trust as a means to connect to community members in Superior. These events were focused on getting to know community members, hearing their stories about the river, and how they like to connect to it. The series also provided education to the public on some of the restoration and stewardship projects happening in Allouez Bay and on Wisconsin Point. River Revival events covered topics like Anishinaabe canoe migration, Manoomin (Wild Rice) restoration, wetland cattail management and a weaving activity, and Ishkode (fire) on Wisconsin Point.
Into the future, we’ll continue hosting activities and engaging with residents to build a shared vision that honors the past, supports healthy stewardship, and reflects the values of our community.
Share your questions and stories:
Community Engagement
Piping Plover Monitoring + Habitat Maintenance
2026 was a major milestone for the 14 year long SLRA Piping Plover project. For the first time in 49 years, a pair of nesting Piping Plovers were observed on the Wisconsin Point Piping Plover Sanctuary. This is a major achievement for SLRA and project partners, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Services, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and City of Superior, with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Wisconsin Point is now one of four sites of nesting Piping Plovers in the state of Wisconsin, joining the Apostle Islands and two sites near Green Bay. Though the 2026 pair did not produce a successful nest due to predation by larger birds, Piping Plovers often return to the same sites to nest, giving us hope that the pair and others may return to the site.
We are so thankful to the amazing volunteers who gave their time to monitor sites, especially this year, from May to July. Volunteers also joined Mikayla Erickson, Piping Plover Monitoring Coordinator for maintenance days this summer removing and bagging invasive plant materials, which reduces the seed bank for next year’s shorebird season. During these events, Mikayla also led the groups on a tour highlighting site improvements from throughout the years, including the 2023 dune grass planting and increase to the nesting areas' cobble pans. This habitat work was funded by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Learn more about the record breaking year in 2026 of Piping Plover nesting in the Great Lakes.
St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail Management
In 2026, the St. Louis River Alliance continued management and promotion of the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail through events, programming, resource creation, and partnership building. This work was made possible by increased capacity in 2024 with the addition of Mikayla Erickson as our National Water Trail Coordinator, and Neighborhood Leaders Karen Sunderman and Annika Frazer, who helped engage the community and raise the trail’s visibility. We sincerely thank them for their dedication to the health of the St. Louis River.
With support from the NWT Advisory Council, the third edition of the National Water Trail map was printed and distributed in July 2025. The map is free and available at more than a dozen local businesses throughout the Twin Ports.
The St. Louis River Alliance remains committed to building community connections and educating the public about the many ways to explore and enjoy the St. Louis River Estuary. Stay tuned for a new landing page on our website, featuring itineraries, gear lists, safety resources, and everything you need to plan your next paddle!
The St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA), in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, celebrated its 11th consecutive year of Manoomin (Wild Rice) restoration. This September, 22 volunteers helped plant approximately 1,200 pounds in Kingsbury Bay and 3,000 pounds in Allouez Bay, working to reestablish native wild rice beds that once covered hundreds of acres.
Volunteers launched their canoes and paddled out to pre-designated restoration zones to cast Manoomin seeds into the water with care and hope. These seeds will help revive native wild rice beds that once flourished here, with some areas historically supporting between 600 and 1,000 acres of wild rice.
A heartfelt thank you to Miranda Pacheco for sending us off in a good way with a ceremony prior to each planting event at both Allouez Bay and Kingsbury Bay. A special shout out and thank you to Anahata Herbals for harvesting the 4,000+ pounds of seed to be planted across both locations. These restoration efforts are made possible with support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funds and the dedication of our volunteers.
Manoomin (Wild Rice) Restoration
Area of Concern Updates
The St. Louis River Alliance’s initial roots were planted as the Citizen Advisory Committee formed to assist Minnesota and Wisconsin state agencies in the St. Louis River Area of Concern (SLRAOC) process. Since 1996, SLRA has worked to foster better communication between agencies, tribal entities, and community members.
This legacy lives on as we continue to provide monthly progress updates (sign-up here), free community events to learn about the river and restoration/stewardship projects, and by helping facilitate the annual Area of Concern Celebration of Progress event.
The St. Louis River Alliance and community helped secure $25.4 million in Minnesota Bond Funds, which triggered $47.2 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. In 2026, the St. Louis River Alliance celebrated, along with the EPA and the Area of Concern coordinators in Minnesota, the completion of the Thomson Reservoir remediation, completing the last of eight contaminated sediment remediation sites in Minnesota. This milestone brings the St. Louis River Area of Concern one step closer to delisting!