One-Two Punch of Funding Brings Project Success in Minnesota

Greenberg May 24, 2025 in News - 3 Minutes

The Takeaway: The Minnesota Coastal Management Program used funding from two sources to take a culvert replacement project from engineering and design all the way to implementation.

With the newly installed culvert in place, fish, sediment, and water can pass through unimpeded.

A rocky stream bed with two concrete circles partially covered by tree branches with water coming out of them.

The old culvert only allowed for fish and organisms to pass through it during times of high water, meaning the water flow was likely so fast that it would be dangerous to pass through.

A large black tube sits on rocks with a wall of dirt above. Construction equipment is on the top of the wall of dirt.

Construction included creating a bypass for the creek to continue flowing around the construction area.

Brook trout are native to Minnesota’s headwaters and small streams like Tischer Creek in and around the city of Duluth. They’re a popular draw for recreational fishers and also serve as an indicator species for overall ecosystem health in the area. A culvert within Tischer Creek, built too small and high up to allow water to pass through, was blocking the trout from migrating. This means the trout were cut off from a recently restored cold water tributary used as spawning habitat and a life-saving reprieve from warm creek waters.

The Coastal States Organization and NOAA secured funds through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, then worked with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program and local partners to complete engineering and design plans for a new culvert. The coastal program then used funding from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management to implement the plans and replace the culvert.

A large stretch of dirt with trees on either side and rocks and construction equipment in the back of the photo.

The trail was reconstructed on top of the new culvert to allow for hikers and bikers, and to be handicap accessible.

A stream passing through a culvert all covered in snow. A sign sticks out of the snow with text and drawings of the stream.

An interpretive sign was placed near the crossing to describe the need for this project, and to acknowledge the funding sources.

The engineering and design plan focused on updating the culvert to ensure it would hold up under flood events anticipated to occur every year-and-a-half. The plans also aligned the culvert with the natural pattern of the stream and slope of the ground. Lastly, it added appropriately sized rocks and substrate to the bottom of the creek, and created a low-flow channel. All of this came together to successfully connect the creek to the tributary and allow fish and other organisms to migrate back and forth. The coastal program worked with South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District to execute these plans and construct the new culvert.

In addition to the connection, the new culvert restored the creek trail to allow for hikers and bikers, and to add access to the stream edge. This updated trail also established handicap-accessible opportunities for fishing and a safer, more gradual access point for all visitors. The entire project provided a space to use signage to educate visitors on the importance of stream continuity and the effects of undersized culverts on aquatic organisms.

Partners: South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Duluth, Coastal States Organization, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program, Hartley Nature Center

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allison.burrell www.noaa.gov