Thanks to our guest speaker, Kasey Yallaly of the Wisconsin DNR, who talked about some innovative work on one of Western Wisconsin's most beautiful streams. Cady Creek was traditionally a brook trout stream, but there has been a dramatic increase in brown trout over the past 15 years, at the expense of the brookies. Kasey described a project to remove brown trout, and the effect on the brook trout population. To view the video on YouTube click here (don't forget to subscribe). To download Kasey's slides, click below.
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by Jim Sauter
Greetings from TCTU Streamkeepers. Recently we formed a TCTU Streamkeeper Task Force to develop plans for our stream monitoring efforts during the 2024 season. The recommendations were presented and approved by our Board of Directors at our February meeting. An overview of our recommendations are as follows: Free Secchi Tubes are available for measuring water quality from the MPCA. You’ll need to create an account on the MPCA e-Services page, and there’s a PDF instruction guide on this website to walk you through the enrollment process. Here’s the link to the program enrollment page: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/get-engaged/find-a-site-and-sign-up.
A new edition is out from our friends in SE MN and Iowa, including everything new about Habitat, Conservation, Advocacy, and, of course, a fishing report!
If you have subscribed to our emails, you've probably already read our monthly newsletter. If not, you can find it here.
by Doug Moran The MPCA recently reported some very good news: the amount of antibiotics detected in MN waters has declined! See the article and charts below. And don't flush your old meds, drop them off at locations noted on the map here: https://mpca.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f6e2ca44e7594dd29ff015a97aaee259 Antibiotics in Minnesota’s Lakes, Rivers, and Streams by Mark Ferrey, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency For over 15 years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and our partners have been monitoring the presence of pharmaceuticals in surface water. While these chemicals are typically associated with the effluent of wastewater treatment plants, we have discovered that they are often present in waters across the state – sometimes in very remote lakes or rivers. This effort has included monitoring for antibiotics. Of the 32 total that we have tested, 19 have been found at least once in rivers, lakes, and streams. While some of these antibiotics are associated only with veterinary medicine, others are used in human health care. Sulfa drugs, such as sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, and sulfadimethoxine, are among the most frequently detected antibiotics. Carbazole, an antibiotic used exclusively in treating swine, and erythromycin, are also detected in water. These antibiotics, like many other chemicals of emerging concern, are found at very, very low concentrations. However, some studies have shown that even at concentrations in the part per trillion range (a few drops in 20 swimming pools!), some chemicals can adversely affect the reproduction and development of fish and wildlife. It is also possible that antibiotics in the environment can promote antibiotic resistance in bacteria – a serious and growing global health problem.
The good news is that we may be seeing fewer antibiotics in our surface water in the last few years. This may be due to the growing use of pharmaceutical drop off locations in Minnesota, where residents can dispose of any unused medications – keeping them out of wastewater and our surface water. While we need more study to determine the long-term trend, it is possible that we are all making a difference in the antibiotics that end up in Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, and streams. By Jim Sauter
Greetings from TCTU Streamkeepers! There is only one way to describe the winter of 2023-24 so far- WIERD. According to some local meteorologists, this is not a "real" Minnesota winter. This is going down as the mildest winter on record. The big question will be how this warm weather and lack of moisture carries over to the summer months and how it impacts streams and trout. A new edition is out from our friends in SE MN and Iowa, including everything new about Habitat, Conservation, Advocacy, and, of course, a fishing report!
By Jim Sauter “We are salting the Earth where it shouldn’t be salted,” - Bill Hintz, a professor at the University of Toledo Salt Watch Welcome to the New Year! As we begin the new year, I am challenging our members to think more about how we use salt in our communities. If you accept the challenge, please take the "Salt Watch" quiz from the Izaak Walton League. Better yet, order a free kit, take some samples, and enter this information into the national database. The instructions for entering the data are simple and straightforward. You can learn more about the program here. In fact, our first official entry from our TCTU chapter that I am aware of was made on July 2, 2023, at the South Branch of the Vermillion River. THANK YOU to Rowe Winecoff for his effort! Here are his results: Name of observer: Rowe Winecoff
Date: 7/2/2023 Salt reading: 25.00 ppm (parts per million). A good low reading... Comments: I'm a stream keeper for the South Branch of the Vermillion River in Minnesota. We monitor the river each week from April to October and I am responsible for the 1st week of each month. I added the Salt Watch this year to my monitoring. This is the 1st month I’ve been able to include the photo of my salt monitoring. by Paul Johnson
One of my favorite all-time flies is the Lage Stop & Go Soft Hackle. This pattern was developed by one of the real treasures in our little corner of the fly fishing world, Randy Lage. Over the next month, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be accepting applications for over 200 paid summer internships. DNR interns gain resume-building, hands-on expertise and build professional contacts while earning $19 per hour. Internships are available in a variety of specialties across the state of Minnesota.
Click "Read More" for a link to a brochure on the Internship Program including application instructions, and a list of internships. A new edition is out from our friends in SE MN and Iowa, including everything new about Habitat, Conservation, Advocacy, and, of course, a fishing report!
At our annual meeting on January 22nd, we will elect five members to the TCTU Board of Directors. The nomination period has closed, and we have exactly five candidates. Four of these candidates are current directors who are running for another term. They are: Evan Griggs, Mike Hodgens, Rick Phetsavong and Jim Sauter.
You can find their profiles by clicking on their names. Our fifth candidate, Mike Rebischke, is running for the first time. Mike is a long-time TCTU member who has been an active volunteer with Education and Habitat Projects. He has managed the Silent Auction for the last two Oktoberfish events. He is a CPA, and is particularly interested in helping our board with Financial Management, Strategic Planning and Fundraising. Thanks to all who tuned in by Zoom or showed up in person to hear Brian Nerbonne of the Minnesota DNR talk about Managing for Larger Trout. Congratulations to our Fly Box winner, Matt Obermeyer! You can find a copy of Brian's presentation, including a list of streams where Sculpin have been transplanted (slide 15), by clicking the download button below. Due to a technical issue, we did not capture a recording of last night's meeting. Oops. As a consolation prize, we'd like to refer you to one of our greatest hits videos: Melissa Wagner of the MN DNR telling the story of Heritage Brook Trout in Southeast Minnesota.
by Caitlin Collins Last month we shared that two different groups were collecting feedback on long range plans impacting two metro trout streams, the Vermillion and Trout Brook. There's still time to provide input on the plans for these important cold-water resources. On the Vermillion, the Vermillion Watershed Joint Powers Association has started their planning for the Vermillion Watershed for 2026-2035. TCTU board member Doug Moran shared information on the blog in November about how to review and submit feedback on that plan, and we encourage members to do so. For Trout Brook, we shared an email last month encouraging members to provide feedback on the draft Long-Range Plan for Miesville Ravine Park Reserve (it's not too late! They're accepting feedback through December 20, 2023). TCTU board member and Advocacy Coordinator Chris O'Brien drafted comments on behalf of our chapter, which we will be sharing with Dakota County. You can read those comments in the attachment below.
by Caitlin Collins
We celebrated our fifth annual Winter Fish Camp at Whitewater State Park on December 1-3 with great company, delicious chili (congrats to our chili cookoff winner, Sally Noll!), and comfortable fishing temps (for winter, at least). On top of all of the above, attendees also had a chance to learn quite a bit. By Jim Sauter
Greetings from the TCTU Streamkeepers. "I am haunted by waters." Norman Maclean Strategic Planning for TCTU Streamkeepers As winter advances and we begin preparing for the 2024 stream monitoring season, we are organizing a Streamkeeper Strategic Planning Committee to help us determine future directions. This gives us an opportunity to evaluate our successes and help develop future directions for our program. Specifically, we will address: At the Annual meeting we will be voting on a revision to our bylaws. We want to change the timing of notification of board elections from 60 to 30 days. This will give it the same timing as notifications of proposed bylaws changes, so that we can send one notice to members instead of two! You can find the text of the proposed bylaws revision by clicking on <Read More>.
As part of an ongoing partnership with the MN DNR on Eagle Creek, TCTU volunteers and MN DNR work crews met on December 5 to move the remaining Siberian elm and buckthorn into large piles for burning this winter by the MN DNR.
During past spring events, TCTU volunteers focused on cutting buckthorn and invasive honeysuckle in the interior of the AMA. To help improve access to the area, volunteers started cutting buckthorn and Siberian elm along the roadway and property line in November 2022. This year we focused on clearing the remaining Siberian elms and clearing around the buckthorn piles from spring 2023. The Vikings messed up and forgot to check our chapter meeting schedule before scheduling their Monday Night Football game. In case you missed last night's chapter meeting, you can find Jason Swingen's excellent presentation on our YouTube Channel here. Don't forget to like and subscribe! You can also download a PDF copy of Jason's presentation.
by Doug Moran
The air temp was a chilly 17F but that didn't deter 18 hardy volunteers showing up at the Super 8 motel in Red Wing to pick up trash from a stretch of Hay Creek on Black Friday. Over 25 garbage bags of trash were collected, including some unique items: a mini 'fridge, a nice pair of running shoes, an orange traffic cone, an unopened bottle of Corona beer & a Vikings sleeping bag! When you see these folks, make sure you thank them for their efforts (apologies if I have misspelled names): Dan Sandelar, Barton Winter, Bob Mazanec, Linda Mazanec, Brandon Kassick, Brian Hanson, Craig Eldred, Jason Riggins, Kerry Fenner, Deb Fenner, Lee Stoe, Mitchell Abbett, Sally Noll, Jeff Kaphingst, Ellen Miller & Nicole Rohwes. Because this action was so successful, keep next year's Black Friday open on your calendars for another TCTU Trash Day event! A new edition is out from our friends in SE MN and Iowa, including everything new about Habitat, Conservation, Advocacy, and, of course, a fishing report!
by Bob Luck
I’m not asking for money (not today!), but I’d like to provide some thoughts on donating to TU. TU is a decentralized organization with local chapters (such as TCTU), State Councils (such as the Minnesota State Council--MNTU), and a National Headquarters (TU National). For a more detailed description of TCTU, MNTU and TU National, you can check out our website. Chapters, State Councils and TU National all make fundraising appeals, which can be confusing to members. I hope to provide some clarity, with the disclaimer that this is my opinion, and any errors are my responsibility. By Doug Moran
You may have already heard of TCTU Adventures. If you haven't, these are trips organized by our TU chapter for trout fishing. In 2023 we had two successful trips: an overnight trip to Preston, MN to fish the Root River area and a day trip to Hay Creek which was also a clean-up day. This is what's in store for 2024, dates and locations will be finalized.
So keep an eye open on the Events page of the TCTU website for more details & signups. By Doug Moran
Your opinion is needed by the Vermillion Watershed Joint Powers Organization (VRWJPO). The VRWJPO has started their planning for the Vermillion Watershed for 2026-2035, and they want to hear your opinions, concerns and ideas for how to protect and enhance this river so close to all of us. Make your voice heard, here’s how:
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January 2024
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