Since the 1800s, the St. Louis River has been a funnel point for industrial waste in the area. For over a century, the only response to this pollution was neighborly advice; don't swim in the river.
But times have changed. Efforts from pollution agencies, the DNR, and other organizations have turned the tide and made the St. Louis River a place for healthy recreation. With the estuary now seen as a welcoming and healthy option for summertime sport and leisure, folks from Wisconsin Sea Grant have compiled a list of safety measures for all recreators to reference before taking to the water.
"You may not know how [the river] operates... there still are underwater obstructions... there are currents," says Barb Huberty from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The primary combatant against these hazards? "The main thing is wear a lifejacket," says Marie Zhuikov from Wisconsin Sea Grant. For a complete list of safety reminders and advisements, visit the Wisconsin Sea Grant website.
You can hear Community Connection every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am on Northland Morning. This edition of Community Connection is made possible in part by Lakewalk Surgery Center.
