Streamkeepers' Update, July 2025

by Jim Sauter
Greetings from TCTU Streamkeepers.
Independence day has come and gone.  This was a good time for burgers, brats, fishing, baseball, ice cream, s'mores,  parades, and fireworks.  
This year as we watched the fireworks from Grand View Resort on Gull Lake, I paid special attention to the birds in the area.  The herons, ducks, and loons were totally freaked out.  A heron sought safety as it perched on top of a nearby boat lift.  
Many times, we are aware of the impact of the sound and light display for pets and little children.  This was the first time I paid very close attention to bird life.  They were clearly flying around and moving nervously during the dusk hour when they have normally settled down for the night.  The loons were not giving us their usual evening calls.  

Even the pair of Big Bear bald eagles in California, Jackie and Shadow, left their nest for a couple of days after their July 4th fireworks scare.  Though they can clearly spot a rabbit from about a mile away, their night vision is poor, and they rarely fly at night.  The status of the fledglings, Sunny and Gizmo remains uncertain. 
I'm glad that the fireworks displays usually last only a day or two.  The are fun to watch, but they are disturbing to some wildlife.  I wonder if fish noticed the loud booms and lights near the lake.

Great Blue Heron July 4th, 2025, Gull Lake. The heron is freaking out from July 4th Celebration as it lands on a  boat lift.  Photo by Emily Sauter

Success – Thank you to everyone who contacted their U.S. representatives and senators, and shared information with others to oppose the sale of public lands. The public lands sale provision was removed from the U.S. Senate’s reconciliation bill.
LITTLE ROCK CREEK (Source:  Some Information for this article is from the MN DNR and Jenny Biederman, MN TU State Habitat Director).
Little Rock Creek is the only trout stream in the Benton and Morrison County area of Minnesota.  Located north of St. Cloud, the creek supported a wild brown trout population since they were introduced into Little Rock Lake in 1908.  It appears to have supported natural trout reproduction at one time.
Currently Little Rock Creek is stocked with brown trout fingerlings annually by the Minnesota DNR.  The DNR typically stocks about 10,000 brown trout fingerlings along a 5-mile stretch of the creek.  Natural reproduction of browns is uncertain. 
The creek is dealing with issues of excessive irrigation, groundwater depletion, and low water levels during droughts.  There are questions about whether this stream would benefit from future habitat work to save the only remaining trout stream in this part of our state.  Measures would need to address irrigation issues, groundwater replenishment, and stream restoration habitat resulting in a larger volume of cool, higher quality groundwater flow to Little Rock Creek.  Better spawning habitat would also need to be addressed. 
The key question is, "Do we want to use valuable resources and attempt to save this stream as a cold water resource for fish and wildlife?"  We will keep you posted on future developments.

STREAMKEEPER READINGS
A couple of readings popped up on our radar.
1.  High phosphate level on Hay Creek
2.  Warm water temperatures and high nitrate level on the Little Cannon
River
3.  High Chloride levels on MOA Creek
4.  High nitrate levels on Trout Brook and the South Branch of the Vermillion
 
BELLE CREEK
Observer:  Dean Albrecht, 6/11/25
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity= Murky
·      Water Temperature=  16 degrees C, 61 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  5 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8
·      Phosphate=  50 ppm
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  None
 
BROWNS CREEK
Observer:  Fred Schulze, 6/30/25
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity= Clear, 100 cm
·      Water Temperature=  22.3 degrees C, 72 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  0 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  80 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.5
·      Phosphate=  100 ppm
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= Pipe/ Drain Outflow
·      Notes=  Water had tannin stain
 
EAGLE CREEK
Observer:  Robert Logelin, 6/27/25
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity= Clear, 95 cm
·      Water Temperature=  12.8 degrees C, 56 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  0 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  220 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.5
·      Phosphate=  0 ppm
·      Chloride=  43 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  No issues even after two days of significant rainfall
 
HAY CREEK
Observer:  Keith Ketchmark, 6/28/25
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity= Muddy
·      Water Temperature=  16.4 degrees C, 61 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  2 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  120 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.0
·      Phosphate=  500 ppb
·      Chloride=  25 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Recent flooding
 
LITTLE CANNON RIVER
Observer:  Brian Raney, 6/24/25
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Murky
·      Water Temperature=  22.5 degrees C, 72.5 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  10 ppm
·      Nitrite=  .3 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  180 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.5
·      Phosphate=  100 ppb
·      Chloride=  25 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Note recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  None
 
MALL OF AMERICA/ IKE'S CREEK
Observer:  Harold Slawik, 6/15/25
·      Weather=  Overcast
·      Water Clarity=  Clear
·      Water Temperature=  14.5 degrees C, 58 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  0 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  240 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8.0
·      Phosphate=  0 ppb
·      Chloride=  458 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Heavy vegetation in the stream turning yellow
 
VERMILLION RIVER, SOUTH BRANCH
Observers:  Doug Moran, 7/6/25 
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity=  Murky
·      Water Temperature=  19.5 degrees C, 67 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  10 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0.15 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  180 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  8.0
·      Phosphate=  0 ppb
·      Chloride=  Not recorded
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Air temperature was 84 degrees F
 
Trout Brook
Observer:  Brian Siemens,  6/17/25 
·      Weather=  Sunny
·      Water Clarity= Murky
·      Water Temperature=  12.7 degrees C, 55 degrees F
·      Nitrate=  20 ppm
·      Nitrite=  0.5 ppm
·      Alkalinity=  180 ppm
·      Hardness=  180 ppm
·      pH=  7.5
·      Phosphate=  100 ppb
·      Chloride=  25 ppm
·      Dissolved Oxygen=  Not recorded
·      Stream Disturbances= None
·      Notes=  Chloride and dissolved Oxygen not recorded
 
That's all for now.  Tight lines.
Jim Sauter
TCTU Streamkeeper Coordinator