Streamkeeper Report - July 2023: Heatwaves Just Keep on Coming

By Jim Sauter
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According to Paul Douglas’s weather report in the Star Tribune, the recent high temperature of 95 degrees in the metro area was the warmest day in 2023 so far.  We typically see an average of 14 days in the 90-degree range.  Already in 2023, we have tallied thirteen 90-degree days.  This is shaping up to be a very warm summer.  Let’s hope for more moderate temperatures and rain in the coming weeks and months!  Our stream water temperatures have stayed remarkably cool so far this summer in most streams.

Streamkeeper Tip of the Month: Get the Salt Out
Please note that this information is from the Izaak Walton League…

Road salt is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish and wildlife as well as human health. Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can't survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes.

You can help.

Take the Salt Watch Pledge, and the Izaak Walton League will send you a FREE kit with everything you need to find out whether road salt pollution is a problem in your local stream. As a Salt Watcher, you pledge to...

1. Reduce road salt use at home and seek out safe alternatives when you can
2. Share your knowledge about road salt and water pollution with family, friends and neighbors
3. Use the FREE Salt Watch kit to test salt levels in your local waterways and add your findings to a national database 

Free salt testing kits are available through Izaak Walton League here to those who sign the Salt Watcher Pledge. Our Streamkeeper teams hope to take some salt water readings in some of our more urban settings this summer.  Please feel free to share your results with me and the national database!

Targeted Streamkeepers
Our “targeted” Streamkeepers are monitoring Belle, Eagle, Hay Creek, Little Cannon, Mall of America, South Branch Vermillion, and Trout Brook Creeks.  Below are some recent chemical readings on these streams.
 
Belle Creek

• Team of Dean Albrecht (Captain), Paul Frank, and Todd Hustad  
• May 26, 2023.   Water quality:  pH= 7.5 (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 0.0 (Low reading), Hardness= 60.0 (trout are happy), Phosphorous= 100 (good), Temperature = 55 degrees (trout are happy).  Water clarity was very clear, water level was mid-stage, and there were no significant weather conditions to report. 

Eagle Creek

• Team of Thor Benson and Southwest Christian High School students
• June 2, 2023. Water quality:  Ph= 7.0 (Trout are happy), Alkalinity= 180 (trout are happy), Hardness= 120.0 (trout are happy), Water temperature= 58 degrees (trout are happy).  Water clarity was clear.  Water level was mid-stage.

Hay Creek 

• Team of Mike Stinson (Captain), Keith Ketchmark, Josh O’Tool, Larry Olson, and Mitch Abbett
• June 1, 2023, 320th St. Water quality:  pH= 8.5 (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 120.0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 10.0 (moderate), Nitrite= 0.0 (trout are happy), Phosphorous= 100 (trout are happy), Temperature= 62 degrees (trout are happy).  Clear water.  Mid-stage level.  

Little Cannon

• Team of Hillary Pennalla (Captain), Rick Phetsavong, Ron Richardson, and Ginger Flaten
• June 26, 2023. Water quality:  Ph= 7.0 (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 180.0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180.0 (trout are happy), nitrate= 50 (high), nitrite= .3 (fair), phosphorous= 200 (high), temperature= 72 degrees (high), water clarity is murky.  Water level is mid-stage.  

Mall of America Creek

• Team of Harold Slawik and Veronica Bauer
• June 12, 2023.  Water quality:  Phosphorus= 0.0 (trout are happy), Temperature= 60 degrees (trout are happy), the water clarity was clear, the banks were at mid-stage.

South Branch Vermillion

• Team of Doug Moran (Captain), Thomas Walkington (Captain), John Klesch, Matt Kleinheinz, Rowe Winecoff, and Joe Page
• June 10, 2023.  Water quality:  pH= 7.5, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 180.0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180.0 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 10.0 (High), Nitrite= 0.0 (trout are happy), Phosphorus= 100.0 (fair), Temperature= 64 degrees (trout are happy).  The water clarity was clear, the water level was base flow.  
• June 13, 2023.  Water quality:  pH= 8.0, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 30.0 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 10.0 (high), Nitrite= 1.0 (high), Phosphorus= 100.0 (fair), Temperature= 62 degrees (trout are happy).  The water clarity was clear.
• July 3, 2023.  Water quality:  pH= 8.0, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 30.0 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 10.0 (high), Nitrite= 1.0 (high), Phosphorus= 100.0 (fair), Temperature= 62 degrees (trout are happy).  The water clarity was clear.

Trout Brook

• Team of Matt Lowe (Captain), Dan Erickson, Andy McRae, and Rick Varco.
• June 3, 2023.  Water quality:   pH= 7.5 (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 80.0 (trout are happy) , Hardness= 120.0 (trout are happy),  Nitrate= 20 (high), Nitrite= 0.0 (trout are happy), Phosphorus= 100.0 (fair), , Temperature= 55 degrees (trout are happy).  Water was clear with baseflow water level. 

General Anglers
“General” Streamkeepers are busy conducting more random and spontaneous monitoring of streams in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

General Streamkeepers - Minnesota

Bullard Creek

• June 9, 2023.  Water Quality:  Ph= 7.5, Alkalinity= 80.0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180.0 (trout are happy), Temperature= 56 degrees, Water clarity was clear, Trash found on stream.     

Duschee Creek

• June 22, 2023.  pH= 8.0, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 0 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180.0 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 50.0 (high), Nitrite= 1.0 (high), Phosphorus= 100.0 (fair).  The water clarity was clear and water level was baseflow.

Long Creek

• June 25, 2023.  Water quality:  pH= 8.0, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 120 (trout are happy), Hardness= 120.0 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 5.0 (fair), Nitrite= .5 (fair), Phosphorus= 100.0 (Fair), Temperature= 58 degrees (trout are happy).  The water clarity was clear and at a baseflow level.

North Fork, Whitewater

• July 2, 2023.  Temperature= 62 degrees.  Clarity was murky, water level was mid-stage, and there was no significant weather event.  

South Fork, Root River

• June 21, 2023. Water quality:  pH= 7.0, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 40 (fair), Hardness= 0.0 (fair), Nitrate= 10.0 (high), Nitrite= 0.15 (fair), Phosphorus= 200.0 (fair).  The water clarity was clear with a baseflow water level.

Wisel Creek

• June 7, 2023.  pH= 8.0, (trout are happy), Alkalinity= 180 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180.0 (trout are happy), Nitrate= 20.0 (high), Nitrite= .5 (happy trout)), Phosphorus= 0.0 (happy trout), Temperature= 57 degrees (trout are happy).  The water clarity was clear and at a baseflow level.

General Streamkeepers - Iowa

Trout Run

• June 10, 2023.  pH= 9.0, (high), Alkalinity= 180 (trout are happy), Hardness= 180.0 (trout are happy), Phosphorus= 100.0 (Fair).  The water clarity was clear and at a baseflow level.

There are a plethora of additional readings in Iowa streams South of Decorah.