St Louis River - Definition and Overview

The Saint Louis River is a river in Minnesota that flows into Lake Superior. The largest river to flow into the lake, it is 179 miles (288 kilometers) in length and starts near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. The river's watershed is 3634 square miles (9412 km²) in area. Near the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, the river becomes a freshwater estuary.

In the mid 20th century, the St. Louis River became one of the most heavily polluted waterways in the state. It became an Environmental Protection Agency Area of Concern. The river began to be cleaned up when a new wastewater treatment facility was completed in 1978 as part of the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District. Through the 1980s and 1990s, additional cleanups took place, and the river is now significantly less polluted.

See also

• List of Minnesota rivers

External links

• St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee (http://www.stlouisriver.org/)
• Great Lakes Areas of Concern: St. Louis River (http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/stlouis.html)