All About Water - at the Water Fair

Tomorrow is the big Water Fair scheduled at the Mariner Mall.  It is for 5th graders from Bryant and Cooper Elementary School.  There will be 10 learning stations with experts from the community having an activity and learning opportunity for the kids.  Guests are coming from the WI DNR, EPA, NOAA, MN Sea Grant, NERR, Lake Superior Research Institute, Environmental Services, and a retired teacher, current teacher, and other adult helpers will be a part of it.

These are some of the questions the students will be able to answer after being part of the morning activities.  Do you know responses to all of these questions?

 

What is a watershed?

Name types of pollution that are considered to be non-point source pollution?

How do natural plants affect the amount and quality of runoff compared to bare soil?  What is one way a person can reduce stormwater runoff?

What is used to test water quality?  What are 3 main pollutants?

What species of fish live in the St. Louis River and other streams that flow into Lake Superior? Why do we count the fish and how are they counted?

What is bathymetry?

Where are the deeper areas of Lake Superior?

Name 3 aquatic invasive species.

How can we stop the spread?

What is a staff gauge? How can we mitigate (or reduce the effects of) flooding?

What is a retention pond and what is its use?

What effect do wetlands have on flooding?

What is the difference between climate and weather? Why are wetlands important for mitigating flooding?  What are some climate change impacts on Lake Superior streams?  What are some climate change impacts on Minnesota forests ecosystems?

What is bioaccumulation?

What chemicals bio-accumulate?

Where do the chemicals come from?

What watershed do you live in?  If you were a drop of water that landed outside of your house tomorrow, what path would you follow to get to the Atlantic Ocean?

Preparing for spring snow melt (by MPCA)

Warmer Temperatures are Coming Up! 

Protect Minnesota’s waters by making sure your site is ready for the spring melt!

 Before snow melt or rainfall, take extra care to ensure all erosion and sediment controls are in place and functioning properly.

 Be sure to inspect and maintain before and during spring melt:

ü  Silt fences

ü  Biorolls

ü  Mulch

ü  Erosion blankets

ü  Sediment basins

ü  Inlet protection

ü  All other erosion and sediment control BMPs

 Check for Sediment Deposits in:

ü  Surface waters

ü  Drainage ditches

ü  Site exits

ü  Curb and gutters

ü  Catch basins

ü  Sediment basins

ü  Infiltration areas

 Inspections:

Required inspections (by a trained individual) and maintenance schedule must begin within 24 hours after runoff occurs at the site or 24 hours prior to resuming construction, whichever comes first. Resume inspections meeting permit requirements when site conditions are appropriate.

 Find more information at:

            www.pca.state.mn.us/CSW

 

Minnesota Stormwater Hotline

651-757-2119 or 800-657-3804

Test your stormwater knowledge!!!

How well do you know Superior? Find out by following this link: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/stormwaterknowledge

Ice Cover and Effects

It's March but with the cold winter ice is still plentiful on Lake Superior.  It's also an opportunity to learn about what the effect will be from more ice on the lake.    In the Twin Ports we have the Large Lakes Observatory and Jay Austin who has researched effects.   http://www.d.umn.edu/llo/
MN Sea Grant has also had research about ice on Lake Superior  http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/newsletter/2006/04/ice_cover_lacking_on_lake.html

I stopped by Brighton Beach yesterday and at least 50 ice shacks were out on the Lake.  Some were pretty far out, too.   How long will the ice last?

Here's a report predicting effects on our summer weather and evaporation rates due to this winter's ice cover.   Cooler summer weather, reduced evaporation rates, less lowering of lake levels due to those factors - these are some of the effects ahead. 
 http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/nearly-frozen-lake-superior-ma/23439393


Here is a list of Michigan experts on Great Lakes ice and its effects.

U-Michigan experts available to discuss near-record Great Lakes ice cover and its implications

ANN ARBOR—Great Lakes ice cover has now increased to 91 percent, creeping closer to the record of 94.7 percent set in 1979, according to the federal government's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan has several researchers who can discuss the near-record ice cover and its implications.

Frank Marsik, associate research scientist in atmospheric science, can discuss how the ice might affect weather later this year in Michigan. Contact: (734) 763-5369 or marsik@umich.edu.

Derek Posselt, assistant professor of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences, can address how ice cover affects lake-effect snow and rain in the Great Lakes region. His recent research shows that the location of the ice, and not just its thickness, plays a role in determining precipitation levels. Contact: (734) 936-0502 or dposselt@umich.edu.

Andrew Gronewold, adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering at U-M and a hydrologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, can discuss the impact of ice and cold water in the Great Lakes, how water levels affect shipping and tourism and projects under way to obtain better measurements. Watch a video interview: http://bit.ly/1i8MWzN. Contact: (734) 763-6829 or drewgron@umich.edu.

Dave Schwab, research scientist at the U-M Water Center, says that while this winter has been different than other recent winters, the weather we've experienced falls within the normal range of short-term climate variability for the region. "This winter is unusual compared to other very recent winters, but it may not be so unusual in the long run," he said. "We only have about 40 years of detailed ice statistics for the Great Lakes to work with, which is a fairly short record." Contact: (734) 763-1093 or djschwab@umich.edu.

Dmitry Beletsky, an expert on the hydrodynamics of lakes, can address the impact of Great Lakes ice on lake circulation patterns, current speed and summer water temperatures. "Deep lakes like Superior and Michigan take longer to warm up after a winter with extensive ice cover, and water temperatures will likely remain cooler than normal throughout the year," said Beletsky, associate research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research, a collaboration between U-M and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Contact: (734) 741-2360 or beletsky@umich.edu.

Geology Lesson: the history behind Superior's clay soils

At the end of the Pleistocene (14,000 years ago) glaciers began to recede, with the melt and reduction of glaciers resulted in the loss and deposition of debris that had accumulated in the glacier and carried materials over very large distances. Leaving behind eskers, till, erratic’s as well as a very common mineral found in Northern Wisconsin, which happens to be part of what geologist call the Miller Creek Formation, this sediment was deposited at the end of our last glacial period. The reason we bring this up is because clay is a mineral that is not porous, when clay gets wet and compacted it creates tighter bonds with other clay minerals. When we in Superior receive high amounts of precipitation, especially during the spring when the ground is already saturated, these minerals cling together and form a sheet like structure in which water easily flows over. 

When looking at the lake the boundaries of the lake are angled towards Superior. So during heavy rain events, or those that happen while the ground is already saturated, direct everything to the lake. With the accumulation of undesirable wastes in our yards it is easy to see that it does not take much for water to run from our properties, into the road, and into the lake. The material that makes up Superior Wisconsin is not ideal for the natural filtration of rain water and melt, for this reason it is important to clean up pet waste, reduce salt in the winter and for you in the spring limit the amount of fertilizers used.

 

Remains of an esker often resembles an elongated hill formation

You can see this at the Sea Caves near Cornicopia, WI, where the till had been deposited on top of the sandstone formation. Red line represents the extent of the sandstone formation and the area represented in blue corresponds with glacial till.

Here is an example of an erratic, though sizes of these glacially dropped stones may vary, they were all deposited from the same processes

Written by Michael Krick.