Streamkeeper Report - October 2024

By Jim Sauter

"Now that fall has officially begun, it’s time to start thinking about winter salt."
- Izaak Walton League

I.  INTRODUCTION- Just One More Cast
Welcome to October!  Suddenly, the rains have diminished, and the warm weather continues.  Our air temperatures set a record for most 80+ degree days and a near record for lack of precipitation for the month of September.  The water temperatures varied with a low of 57 degrees in Hay Creek to a high of 73 degrees in the Little Cannon River.  We will continue our chemical monitoring efforts through the end of October.

The good news is that I finally caught a brook trout during this season.  ​

I have had success with brown and rainbow trout, but the brook trout have proven to be more elusive for me this year.  Is this just me, or is this a trend in our streams?

I spent a couple days in late September specifically searching for brook trout on the North Shore.  The weather was ideal, the stream temperatures were still warm at about 60 degrees, the water levels were low, and there were no other people fishing above the barriers of the two streams that I fished.

The first day I caught a couple of small and beautiful rainbow trout on the Knife using green copper johns. The second day, I decided to try a completely new stream for me, the Sucker River.  Name aside, this stream is a beauty.  I tried nymphing and had little success.  I noticed some small nudges on the surface of one larger pool and decided to try a size 16 "Paul Johnson" Caddis, the dark version.

There were several fish attempting to take the fly on the surface.  I'm guessing there were too small to successfully get hooked.

On a nearby bank of the Sucker River I was alarmed to find a freshly killed Blue Jay.  There were feathers plucked and scattered here and there.  The body was completely intact, and the head was cleanly removed and gone.  After doing some research, it seems the bird may have been a victim of a hawk, owl, or feral cat.  

Have you ever experienced a day when it was hard to leave the stream even when the fish were not biting?  That was this day for me.  The ambience of the day was intoxicating.  I kept telling myself, "Just one more cast."  I was rewarded with one of finest brook trout that I have ever landed on the North Shore.  I released the fish and hoped that it may be able to eventually navigate downstream over the barriers and make it to the big lake.  It just might be a future Coaster!

II.  STREAMKEEPER TIP OF THE MONTH-  SALT WATCH (Credit to the Izaak Walton League)
Now that fall has officially begun, it’s time to start thinking about winter salt. 

In the 2023-2024 year, Salt Watchers conducted more than 6,600 chloride tests in 29 states.  This monitoring effort is continuing to grow every year.  For more information about salt water monitoring efforts, download our Salt Watch Advocacy Guide.  The Guide gives a very comprehensive overview about this initiative.  

You can help join the effort of monitoring salt in area streams.  This is an excellent time of the year to begin such efforts.  Winter will be upon us before we know it, and testing now helps establish baseline data before the winter weather arrives.  

This is also a great time to have conversations with your household and neighbors about smart salting this winter. You can also start conversations with city officials and road salt applicators in your town to learn if and how those departments plan to implement road salting best practices throughout the winter season.

There is always a balance between public safety on roadways and environmental impacts from road salt pollution. If we start positive conversations and work together, we can find the sweet spot to keep both humans and the environment protected this winter.  

Are you interested in joining the Salt Watch?  Kits are free.  Taking a salt test on an area stream takes about 15 minutes.  Data can be reported to us using our TCTU Google Form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1VbS-JVZHTVT4LEOeQPRgNqVs5iV6GZZT-GLs3XZaD9Y/edit) or reported directly to the Salt Water Hub.  

To order your salt monitoring kit, go to this site and take the pledge:  https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring/salt-watch

III.  FUTURE MONITORING EFFORTS
REDD SURVEY.  Plans are proceeding to conduct our first REDD Survey on an area stream this fall.  We are in the process of developing the protocol, identifying a stream, and selecting a date and time to do the survey after November 15.  

IV.  FEATURED STREAM OF THE MONTH- TROUT BROOK (Credit to the MDNR and the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District)
Trout Brook is one of a handful of trout streams in Dakota County, located almost entirely in the Dakota County Park (Miesville unit). Miesville, a town in southeastern Dakota County, is the closest population center. Trout Brook is 3 miles in length, all of which is designated trout stream with brook and brown trout.

The headwaters of Trout Brook seep out of steep bluffs and the stream begins as a very cold, shallow stream. This stream begins to increase in depth and velocity with the addition of a tributary near the headwaters. Trout Brook has very clean substrates and the streambed is lined with cobble and rock. It gains depth as it progresses towards the Cannon River and the velocity slows down due to impoundment from the river. Trout Brook is mostly shaded from tree cover through the entire reach; however, trees were removed as part of a habitat improvement project on the upper end of the stream. 

This habitat improvement project - roughly 3500 feet long - was completed in the upper reach near County Road 91 in 2019. The project involved bank sloping, addition of woody structures, and rock weirs. The bank sloping and seeding of prairie grasses has greatly improved access to this reach.

This stream has a historical data record that dates to 1985 and is of particular interest for nitrate monitoring because it has some of the highest stream baseflow nitrate concentrations found in southeastern Minnesota (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)).  Our TCTU Streamkeeper team recorded our highest nitrate reading of the season so far at Trout Brook on May 22, 2024, with a nitrate reading of 50 ppm.   

Populations
Brook trout were introduced in the late 1970's and early 1980's and have successfully established through natural reproduction. They are found in higher densities and ratios than brown trout in the upper reaches of the stream. The brown trout in Trout Brook are a naturally-reproducing population. Brown trout numbers increase in density as you progress downstream from the headwaters to the Cannon River.

In 2019, brook trout captured by electrofishing ranged in size from 4 to 9 inches, with an estimated adult population density of approximately 450 adults per mile. Larger brook trout over 10 inches have been sampled in trout brook in previous surveys but none were found in 2019. A portion of Trout Brook that is near the bridge on County Road 91 is sampled annually. Brown trout are found in this reach but are usually in low densities. Previous surveys in lower sections of the stream reveal higher numbers of brown trout. Trophy-sized brown trout have been observed near the confluence with the Cannon River.

Notes from Andy McRae, Streamkeeper Captain for Trout Brook:  "Here are a few shots of the stream and a nice c&r 14" Brown caught on a grasshopper in August. The lower reached above the Cannon are still silty.  A lot of the wading is still iffy."  
 
V.  STREAM REPORTS FROM THIS PAST MONTH
Here are some stream monitoring reports from September.  Enjoy!

HAY CREEK 305th St., Monitored by Ginger Flaten, September 8, 2024 
Predominate Weather:  Sunny
Water Clarity:  Clear
Water Temperature:  14.0 degrees C, 57 degrees F, Excellent
Nitrate:  2 ppm, Excellent
Nitrite:  0 ppm, Good
Alkalinity:  150 ppm, Normal
Hardness:  0 ppm, Fair
pH:  8.0, Good
Phosphate: 0 ppb, Excellent
Chloride:  25 ppm, Excellent
Notes:   Water was very clear

HAY CREEK 325th St., Monitored by John Kohler, September 7 , 2024
Predominate Weather:  Sunny
Water Clarity:  Clear, Excellent
Water Temperature:  11.2 degrees C, 62 degrees F, Excellent
Nitrate:  5 ppm, Good
Nitrite:  0 ppm, Good
Alkalinity:  180 ppm, Normal
Hardness:  120 ppm, Normal
pH:  8.0, Good
Phosphate:   0 ppb, Excellent
Chloride:  No Reading

LITTLE CANNON, Monitored by Brian Raney, September 16, 2024
Predominate Weather:  Sunny
Water Clarity:  Murky
Water Temperature: 23 degrees C, 73 degrees F, Poor
Nitrate:  2 ppm, Excellent
Nitrite:  .5 ppm, Fair to Poor
Alkalinity:  240 ppm, Normal
Hardness:  180 ppm, Normal
pH:  8.0, Good
Phosphate:  50 ppb, Excellent
Chloride:  25 ppm, Excellent
Notes:  Water looked more cloudy or chalky versus muddy

MOA/ IKE"S CREEK, Monitored by Veronica Bauer September 17, 2024
Predominate Weather:  Sunny
Water Clarity:  Clear, Over 60cm clarity with Secchi tube
Water Temperature:  14.9 degrees C, 58 degrees F, Good
Nitrate:  1.0 ppm, Excellent
Nitrite:  0 ppm, Good
Alkalinity:  240 ppm, Normal
Hardness:  180 ppm, Normal
pH:  8.5 Good
Phosphate:  0 ppb, Excellent
Chloride:  Not recorded
Notes:  Erosion (There are discussions about doing future habitat work on MOA Creek)

SOUTH BRANCH WHITEWATER,  Monitored by Chip Meyer, September 11, 2024
Predominate Weather:  Sunny
Water Clarity:  Clear
Water Temperature:  16.6 degrees C, 62 degrees F, Good
Nitrate:  10 ppm, Good
Nitrite:  0 ppm, Good
Alkalinity:  240 ppm, Normal
Hardness:  180 ppm, Normal
pH:  8.5, Good
Phosphate:  0 ppb, Excellent
Notes:  South Branch Whitewater River near Chafee Valley