Streamkeepers Update

by Jim Sauter
Greetings from TCTU Streamkeepers.  Welcome to August. 
So far this has been a summer with above average moisture, warmer than average temperatures with eleven 90 degree days so far, and lots of smoke from Canadian forest fires negatively impacting air quality.   
I was curious about the "unhealthy" air quality in our area and checked with AI on the possible effects on streams and fish.  Here are some findings:
 
HOW SMOKE AFFECTS TROUT POPULATIONS (Sources:  AI, Bangor News)
Changes in Fish Behavior: 

• Direct effects from smoke and ash: Smoke and ash, consisting of fine particles and potentially harmful chemicals, can be directly deposited into streams and lakes.
• Water Quality Degradation: Ash and other particulates from fires can cloud streams, making it difficult for fish to breathe and reducing the availability of their food sources.
• Increased Surface Activity: Reduced sunlight from smoke can be like an overcast day, increasing the activity of fish that feed near the surface.
• Location and Movement: Fish may become more comfortable moving around during the day when they would normally retreat to cover, as the smoky conditions offer less visibility and potentially less stress.

• Habitat Destruction Near the Fire Sites: Wildfires can burn trees along streams, removing crucial shade and increasing water temperatures to lethal levels for cold-water species          like trout. Erosion can also be an issue. 
• Wildfires Can Contribute to Habitat Complexity: Some research indicates that, over the long term, wildfires can contribute to habitat complexity by providing large woody debris, which is beneficial for fish like trout providing that the frequency and intensity of the fires are within certain limits.  Yes, to a degree, there are ecological benefits to some forest fires.
   
  THANK YOU PAUL JOHNSON
  Kudos to Paul Johnson for his donations of dozens of flies and additional items for door prizes at our TCTU Chapter meetings and our upcoming Oktoberfish TCTU event.  He has done this for several years, and I can attest that his flies consistently catch fish.  I especially have had success with his purple prince charming, caddis, and his BWOs often prove deadly. 
  Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the inner sanctums of  Paul's fly tying room.  I consider Paul a master fly tyer and a distinguished member of the Laughing Trout Fly Tying Club, and he shared some insights with me about fly tying and trout fishing.  After visiting Paul's Fly Tying Room, I decided that I need more fly fishing rods, reels, fly tying supplies, and a major remodel of my fly tying room. 
  Thanks again to Paul!  

                                                        Photos by Jim Sauter

PARTNERSHIPS- IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE
 
Our Twin Cities Trout Unlimited chapter recently became a Nitrate Watch and Salt Watch "partner" organization with the Izaak Walton League.  In essence, we were already partners since we were getting free supplies from the League and providing significant amounts of data to their Clean Water Hub.  Now we are recognized as "official" partners.  Our data is crowd sourced with data from other volunteers and partner organizations so that we can get a bigger picture of what is happening with nitrates and salt at the state and national levels.  Ultimately, this gives us a better picture of what is happening in our streams, and I am proud that TCTU and our Streamkeeper volunteers are part of this effort.
 
I am attaching the links to the annual reports so that you can see the results from Minnesota, neighboring states, and at the national levels.
 
The recent reports can be found at these links:
 
Salt Watch:  iwla.org/wp-content/uploads/Salt-Watch-Annual-Report-2024-2025.pdf
 
In 2024 at the national level, 8,689 salt readings were reported from 724 partner organizations (i.e., now including TCTU), 1,407 volunteers, at 2,707 locations. 
 
In Minnesota, 433 salt readings were taken in 2024.  TCTU took 45 of these salt readings.  Minnesota had "excellent" readings of low salt levels in over 33% of the samples, much higher than the national average of 18%. 
Minnesota had about 10% of high excessive levels of salt, compared to an average of 18% at the national level.  The TCTU streams that had high nitrate levels in 2024 were:  Hay Creek, South Branch of the Vermillion, and Trout Brook.  In conclusion, our salt numbers recorded in 2024 were  better than the national average.
 
Nitrate Watch:  iwla.org/wp-content/uploads/2024-Nitrate-Watch-Annual-Report-compressed.pdf
 
At the national level, there were 5,427 nitrate readings in 2024, 10 new partner organizations including TCTU, 480 total organizations, 35 states reporting, at 1,339 sample locations.
 
In Minnesota, a total of 249 nitrate readings were taken during the 2024 monitoring season.  Our TCTU monitors took over 70 of these readings.  Over 77% of the Minnesota readings were in the excellent range, a bit higher than the national average of 70%.  There were about 5% of the MN readings that were very high.  At the national level, the extremely high nitrate levels were at the 7% range.  The one TCTU stream that consistently had excessively high salt levels was the Mall of America/ Ike's Creek.  In conclusion, our 2024 recorded nitrate levels in Minnesota were better than the national average.
 
WATER QUALITY BY THE NUMBERS
 
The TCTU Streamkeeper volunteers have now been reporting chemical readings since 2021 and expanded from three "targeted" streams to eight area streams.  This has raised an interesting question, "What exactly do the numbers mean?" 
 
Recently Kent Johnson (Kiap-TU-Wish) and I decided to do a deeper dive in attempting to informatively categorize our sample readings in ways that help to make more sense from our data and numbers.  We created a table called, "The  TCTU Water Quality Summary for Chemical Testing." 
 
This TCTU Water Quality Summary for Chemical Testing is a composite scale from the WiseH2O app, the Izaak Walton League, and the Minnesota Water Quality Standards.  The chart below gives a better idea of what the numbers mean for our area stream health.  Our trout populations can be remarkably resilient over time in harsh environments up to a point.  We hope this Summary gives more clarity on just what the numbers mean.

TCTU Water Quality Summary for Chemical Tests*

Water Temperature (Degrees C)
0-19   Good
20-22   Fair
23-24   Poor
≥ 25   Lethal

(WiseH2O App)

Transparency/Water Clarity (cm)
> 90   Excellent
60-90   Good
40-60   Moderate
25-40   Poor
< 25   Critical

(WiseH2O App)

Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3) (ppm)
0-2   Good
5   Fair
≥ 10   Poor

(WiseH2O App)

Nitrite Nitrogen (NO3) (ppm)
0   Good
0.15, 0.3   Fair
1.0, 1.5, 3.0   Poor

(WiseH2O App)

Phosphorus, Total (ppb)
≤ 100   Good
> 100   Poor

(MN Water Quality Standard)

Alkalinity (ppm)
80-240   Good
0-40   Fair

(WiseH2O App)

Hardness (ppm)
60-180   Good
0-30   Fair

(WiseH2O App)

pH
< 6.5   Fair-Poor
6.5-8.5   Good
> 8.5   Fair-Poor

(MN Water Quality Standard)

Chloride (Cl) (ppm)
0-20   Excellent
21-50   Good
51-229   Fair
≥ 230**   Poor

(Izaak Walton League)

Dissolved Oxygen (% saturation)
80-120   Excellent
70-79   Good
50-69   Fair
<50   Poor

(Izaak Walton League)
    121-140
              >140

* Created 7/9/2025 by Jim Sauter (TCTU) and Kent Johnson (Kiap-TU-Wish)
**230 ppm is the Minnesota chronic water quality standard

TROUT STOCKING IN WISCONSIN (Source:  Wisconsin DNR)
 
Since we lived in Wisconsin for 32 years, I like to keep track of many of the streams across the border.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released the 2025 trout fish stocking numbers for inland waterbodies and the Great Lakes. 
 
To view the stocking numbers on specific bodies of water, go to: 
 
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/Fishing/CatchableTroutStocking2025.pdf to view stocking specific bodies of water.
 
The WI DNR raises millions of yearling and fingerling fish to stock into Wisconsin waters every year. Over five million fish were stocked in 2024, which helped fulfill the quotas submitted by county fisheries biologists.
 
DNR biologists analyze data collected from present and past surveys to determine which species and quantity should be stocked, along with other factors such as public input.
 
DNR fish crews stocked fish in inland waters, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and their tributaries across the state in 2024. The following summaries provide the total fish stocked by species last year:
 
Inland waters: 231,685 brook trout; 288,290 brown trout; 10,945 lake sturgeon; 86,552 lake trout; 59,112 muskellunge; 243,588 rainbow trout; and 1,195,570 walleyes.
 
Lake Michigan: 50,184 brook trout; 475,045 brown trout; 1,361,857 chinook salmon; 517,166 coho salmon; 1,139 lake sturgeon; 15,495 muskellunge; and 446,150 rainbow trout.
Lake Superior: 199,885 brown trout; 60,732 lake trout; and 54,743 splake.
 
STEAMKEEPER READINGS
A couple of readings popped up on our radar.
1.  Three streams had water temperatures in the upper 60 degree F range.  These were Belle Creek, Brown's Creek, and the Little Cannon.
2.  High Chloride levels persist on MOA Creek.
3.  Trout Brook still has elevated nitrate levels.  Nitrate levels in some other streams improved slightly over last month.
4.  Poor air quality was reported at the South Fork of the Vermillion.  The air quality index was at 152 which is "unhealthy" for everyone, and stream clarity was affected by smoke and ash particles.
 
BELLE CREEK
Observer:  Dean Albrecht, 7/31/25
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Clear
·      Water Temperature=  20.1 degrees C,  68 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  5 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8
·      Phosphate=  0 ppm[KJ1] 
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  None
 
BROWNS CREEK
Observer:  Fred Schulze, 7/28/25
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Clear, 80 cm
·      Water Temperature=  20.6 degrees C, 69 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  0 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  80 ppm
·      Hardness=  120 ppm
·      pH=  7.5
·      Phosphate=  50 ppm[KJ2] 
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= Pipe/ Drain Outflow
·      Notes=  Slightly tannin stained
 
EAGLE CREEK
Observer:  Paul Frank, 7/28/25
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Clear
·      Water Temperature=  13.22 degrees C,  55.7degrees F
·      Nitrate=  0 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0.15 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.0
·      Phosphate=  0 ppm[KJ3] 
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  None
 
HAY CREEK- 325th St
Observer:  John Kohler, 7/28/25
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Clear
·      Water Temperature=  17.88 degrees C, 64 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  5 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  80 ppm
·      Hardness=  120 ppm
·      pH=  8.0
·      Phosphate=  0 ppb, Huge improvement over last month!
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  None
 
LITTLE CANNON RIVER
Observer:  Mike Stinson, 7/22/25
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Murky
·      Water Temperature=  21.1 degrees C, 69.8 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  0 ppm, Improved over last month
·      Nitrite=  .5 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8.0
·      Phosphate=  100 ppb
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Fish rising upstream
 
MALL OF AMERICA/ IKE'S CREEK
Observer:  Veronica Bauer, 7/27/25
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity=  Clear, 60 cm
·      Water Temperature=  13.0 degrees C, 55 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  2 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8.0
·      Phosphate=  0 ppb
·      Chloride=  304 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  None
 
Trout Brook
Observer:  Dwight Smith,  7/24/25 
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Clear
·      Water Temperature=  15.8 degrees C, 60 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  10 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8.0
·      Phosphate=  0 ppb, much improved
·      Chloride=  25 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Heavy intermittent rain
 
VERMILLION RIVER, SOUTH BRANCH
Observers:  Rowe Winecoff, 8/2/25 
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity=  Clear, 70 cm
·      Water Temperature=  15.5 degrees C, 60 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  5 ppm, improved over last month
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  180 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.0
·      Phosphate=  7 ppb
·      Chloride=  30 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Air quality 152, stream clarity affected by smoke and ash particles
 
That's all for now.  Tight lines.
 
Jim Sauter
TCTU Streamkeeper Coordinator