Duluth, now also known globally as a top tourist destination, has long been a city of industry. Much of the northland was built on the back of the timber and mining trades and, while the extraction of resources brought the region great wealth, it also created pollution that poisoned our waterways. By 1980 the St. Louis River and Duluth Harbor were designated by the EPA as an area of concern. In other words, a pollution flashpoint.

 

But this story has a happy ending. For the past thirty years, federal, state and local organizations have collaborated on a remediation plan to reverse the damage and remove the pollution from our waterways. The site of Pier B itself was a former industrial hotbed, meaning that its redevelopment required extensive environmental repair and pollution removal. The Harbor you see now — and the resort where you’re currently staying — are proud examples of the work that has been done and will continue to be done to protect our waters for generations to come. Guests of the resort now utilize the “Slip at Pier B” as space for recreation– from launching a paddle board or water bike to renting a pontoon or docking their own boat, the opportunities are truly endless.