TCTU Streamkeeper Report - July 2022

TCTU Streamkeeper Report, July 8, 2022, By Jim Sauter

Welcome to July.  Our days are getting slightly shorter as we enter the summer season.  Air temperatures have been rising into the 90’s and 80’s, and it appears that most streams are holding their own with water temperatures in the upper 50 and lower 60 range.  When I fished Lawrence Creek in Central Wisconsin recently, I recorded my highest water temperature of the season at 62 degrees.  The brook trout were in a deeper section of the river below a riffle and were very active.  Our Streamkeepers have been busy monitoring streams.  Click here for our reports! 

I just checked, and our sunrise is at 5:36 am with the sunset at 9:03pm.  Sunrise was eight minutes and sunset was two minutes later.  We’ve lost about six minutes of sunlight since our last report a month ago, and we are now entering the terrestrial season.  Time to get out those hoppers!
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Mark Nemeth did some parsnip picking on the South Branch of Vermillion and harvested 40 plants.  He also encountered about five water hemlock plants and will be addressing this concern as well.  We plan to continue addressing these invasive plants.  Please contact a Streamkeeper to report any invasives that you may encounter on streams.

JULY WISEH2O TIP

If you are using the WISEH2O app and taking measurements, the CURRENT CONDITIONS tab has a WEATHER entry.  You have the options of entering regional rainfall, local thunderstorm, warmth causing snowmelt, or none.  Use the past 24-hour period when making this entry.  See below…

STREAMKEEPING REPORTS FOR JULY, TCTU MONITORING SITES FROM TARGETED STREAMKEEPERS
BELLE CREEK.  Stream Captain:  Dean Albrecht
The water temperature on July 6 was up to 65 degrees.  We need to continue monitoring the nitrite levels.  Phosphorous was at an acceptable 100 range.  Vegetation growth is on the rise.

HAY CREEK.  Stream Captain:  Mike Stinson
​Readings on June 23, 2022.  Ph was 200 in the normal range, and the water temperature was 64 degrees, about 5 degrees warmer than in June.  Nitrite and nitrate levels were elevated.  Upstream at another monitoring site the nitrite and nitrate levels were much better, but the stream temperature was 70 degrees!  On the 28th the temperature was 58 degrees after some rain.  Some manure was present from cattle, but it appeared to be running clear.

LITTLE CANNON RIVER
Stream Captain:  Hillary Pennella
On May 12 the water temperature was a whopping 66 degrees with a phosphorous level of 200.

MALL OF AMERICA CREEK (aka Ike’s Creek and Hust Creek).  Stream Captain:  Harold Slawik
June 26, 2022.  Phosphorus was at 0 and the water temperature was 60 degrees. degrees.  
The water temperature was up a couple of degrees to 60 in our last June measurement. The water is still running perfectly clear.  Jim Sauter and I will be meeting with a U.S. Fish & Wildlife representative, Vicki Sherry, next week to discuss our stream monitoring. MOA creek runs through the Minnesota River Valley Wildlife Refuge--a national refuge of 14,000 acres. Apparently, we will be needing a special use permit to do our stream monitoring. We're looking forward to the meeting.  One section of the stream is overrun with reed canary grass. I haven't seen any wild parsnip.

SOUTH BRANCH VERVILLION
Stream Captain:  Thomas Walkington
Reading on July 1, 2022.  Water temperature was.54 degrees.
Water temps are starting to rise. The water level on the South Branch is lower than normal. Mark Nemeth and an intern pulled parsnip on July 6.

TROUT BROOK
Stream Captain:  Matthew Lowe
Water temperature was 55 degrees on June 16, 2022.  Nitrites and nitrates were elevated.

STREAMKEEPING REPORTS FOR JUNE, SOME ADDITIONAL SITES - 
West Indian Creek.  June 29, 2022.  Phosphorous 200.  Temperature 56 degrees.

Rush Creek, June 29, 2022.  Phosphorus was 100.  No temperature was taken.

South Fork, Whitewater, June 22.  Water temperature was 69 degrees.  Phosphorous was 0.

Volga River, Iowa, June 9, 2022.  Phosphorous was 0.  No water temperature was taken. ​