GEI Selected to Support Minnesota DNR’s Mud Lake Habitat Restoration Project

Duluth, MN – June 25, 2026 – GEI Consultants, Inc. (GEI) has been selected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) to provide construction engineering and construction contract administration services for the St. Louis River – Mud Lake Habitat Restoration Project in Duluth, Minnesota.

The Mud Lake project is a major aquatic and wetland restoration effort within the St. Louis River Estuary, an area recognized by the State of Minnesota as a resource of Outstanding Biological Significance and part of the federally designated St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC). The restoration will improve habitat quality, restore natural hydrology, and support long-term ecological recovery in the estuary.

“For three decades, GEI has worked throughout the Great Lakes to support AOC delisting activities, such as ecological restoration, remediation, and the administrative actions required to remove an Area of Concern from the Great Lakes list of severely degraded waterways. We’re excited to continue the journey by providing construction management services to the MNDNR for this important project,” says Joe Caryl, CCM, GEI Senior Vice President – Construction Services.

The Mud Lake project combines complex construction coordination with tangible ecological outcomes. GEI’s team will apply lessons learned from restoration projects like Allouez Bay, including hemi-marsh restoration approaches that support bird diversity and abundance while also improving fish and wildlife habitat.

“This project represents an opportunity to continue the long-term restoration and recovery efforts occurring throughout the St. Louis River AOC,” says Rebecca Eiden, a GEI Environmental Scientist and Project Coordinator for Mud Lake. “Many of us in GEI’s Duluth office have worked on planning, habitat restoration, watershed, and resiliency projects connected to the estuary, so it’s especially meaningful to help advance the last major Minnesota AOC habitat restoration effort into construction. It is rewarding to be part of work with such visible environmental and community significance for Duluth and the surrounding region.”

GEI will oversee sediment dredging and management, dewatering and water treatment operations, wetland and aquatic habitat construction, and associated infrastructure elements, including bridge and railroad interface work. GEI will also coordinate collection of aerial drone imagery at key project milestones to document construction progress and support long-term monitoring.

Construction on the Mud Lake Habitat Restoration Project is anticipated to continue through 2027.

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About GEI: GEI Consultants, Inc. is a consulting engineering firm and member of GISI Consulting Group that delivers professional services that improve our world’s built environment. With more than 1,800 staff in 60 offices in North America, GEI is a leader in providing multi-disciplined engineering and environmental services to a range of private and public sector clients, both domestically and abroad.

As a member of the employee-owned GISI family of companies, we foster personal relationships with our clients and support our staff in a partnership model, which is underpinned by continuous learning and sharing of knowledge. We retain proven, recognized experts and attract the best minds to deliver to our clients a refreshing blend of technical expertise, collaborative spirit, and innovation that is rare in our profession. We engineer solutions in five primary end markets: Water Resources, Energy, Buildings, Infrastructure, and Industrial. For more information on GEI, please visit www.geiconsultants.com.www.geiconsultants.com.