Duluth, Minn. — As paddlers return to the waters of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River Estuary, Minnesota Sea Grant urges all canoeists, kayakers, and paddleboarders to prioritize their safety by visiting PaddleSafeTwinPorts.org before heading out.
PaddleSafeTwinPorts.org is a free, data-driven website designed to help recreational paddlers safely navigate the challenges of the Duluth-Superior Harbor and surrounding waters. The site offers real-time weather and water conditions, photos and information for 13 launch sites, a float plan to share with family and friends, and guidance on avoiding commercial ship traffic in this busy working harbor.
“Lake Superior and the St. Louis River are incredible places to paddle and they can also be unpredictable,” said MNSG Great Lakes Transportation Extension Educator Kelsey Prihoda. “PaddleSafeTwinPorts.org helps paddlers make informed decisions before they head out on the water.”
The signs installed at each of the 13 launch sites remind paddlers to wear their life jackets, stay at least 100 yards away from freighters and harbor docks, check the weather before launching, and be prepared for cold water. The website was developed by MNSG in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council, local paddling outfitters, municipal partners, and community members.
“Minnesota Sea Grant also provides extension and research experience for undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota through projects like Paddle Safe Twin Ports,” said Prihoda. “This summer, our St. Louis River Water Safety Intern will provide water safety education at community events, promote PaddleSafeTwinPorts.org and work with community partners to improve water safety communication for residents and visitors.”
The PaddleSafeTwinPorts.org website is one way MNSG provides accessible, science-based resources that encourages people to use our water resources and to be safe in and around our working harbor.
For more water safety information, visit PaddleSafeTwinPorts.org. For information about MNSG’s undergraduate internship opportunities, visit MNSG Undergraduate Internships.
Minnesota Sea Grant is a systemwide program of the University of Minnesota and one of 34 federal-university Sea Grant partnerships across the country supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Great Lakes and coastal states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, outreach, communication, education and technology transfer.
CONTACTS:
Kelsey Prihoda, Great Lakes Transport Extension Educator, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, [email protected].
Marie Thoms, Communications Director, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, [email protected].