NRRI > Erie Pier Dredged Material Beneficial Use Study
Last Update Wed Mar 6 13:45:00 CST 2013
(1) Identify landowners willing to participate in demonstration projects and receive fine grained dredged material for restoration demonstrations. (2) Evaluate the cost and feasibility of using rail transportation to move Erie Pier fine grained dredged material to potential recipient sites. (3) Provide monitoring and results analysis of vegetative health, plant diversity and control of purple loosestrife for demonstration sites. (4) Evaluate the effectiveness of using microwave technology to sterilize seeds contained in Erie Pier fine grained dredged material. (5) Conduct a laboratory and field assessment of the stamp sand area near Gay, Michigan, within the context of this location being a potential recipient site for navigation channel material from the Duluth-Superior harbor and/or Erie Pier for establishing stamp sand-stabilizing vegetative cover.Second half 2012 highlights: 1)Demonstration site monitoring, documentation, and mitigation for Purple Loosestrife growth control 2)Meetings and site visits/tours with Corps of Engineers personnel 3)Developed work plans for an additional project at Hibtac, expanded activities at Atlas Cement, and for material transport to Hibtac; all three were added to the overall project 4)Participated in meeting and conference calls specific to the Gay, MI, stamp sands. 5)Completed an interim draft report, and a GIS product for the final report. 6)Final reports for the Stamp Sands, Microwave, and Mineland Reclamation/Demonstration site portions of the project were begun, with planned completion in early 2013.
The University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) to evaluate beneficial use of Erie Pier fine grained sediment dredged from the Duluth-Superior harbor and stored at the Erie Pier facility located in Duluth, Minnesota. The Erie Pier facility will reach its engineered design capacity within the next five years. Consequently, finding small, medium, and large-scale sites for beneficially reusing the materials stored at Erie Pier is an important goal. The current study is evaluating potential beneficial uses for the sediment within approximately a 60-90 mile radius of Erie Pier, in part as it relates to mine land usage. The project was several components that will address previously listed objectives.
Site monitoring resumed. Project planning meetings and communications continued for developing future project tasks and funding. Scope of work submitted for additional funding support for the current project/new activities. Discussions with the COE's Duluth Area Office and potential contractors ongoing; with goal of arranging a back haul of byproduct Mesabi rock to the Duluth area. The project is coordinating with the Minnesota Mining Cluster Biomass project. Material transport planned for late summer/early fall 2012. Scope of work submitted for expanded work at the Atlas Cement site. Progress/status report in preparation.
Start Date 01/24/2011
End Date 09/30/2013
Steven Hauck PI