3 Quadrillion Gallons … Plus: According to a report by Tanda Gmiter of MLive, Lake Superior got 2.75 trillion gallons of extra water in the last month thanks to heavy rainfalls. “In a typical year, Lake Superior will see its water level increase by 3 inches between June 13 and July 13,” Tanda quotes the National Weather Service in Marquette. “This year, it rose by 5 inches during that window.” Despite that influx of precipitation, the Lake remains about 4 inches below its water level at this time last year. Weekly water level updates are put out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Great Lakes, Great Impacts: Results of a yearlong study released this week by the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership determined that the St. Lawrence Seaway system supports more than 237,000 jobs and generates $35 billion in economic activity and $6.6 billion in federal, provincial/state and local taxes. The report further indicates that 123,172 jobs were dependent on the Soo Locks. The agricultural and industrial heartland represented by the states and provinces around the Great Lakes has an impressive impact, according to the partnership posting: “If the region was its own country, it would be the 3rd largest economy in the world with a combined GDP of more than $6 trillion dollars. In 2017, 143.5 million metric tons of cargo (valued at $15.2 billion) moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. The St. Lawrence Seaway is also the longest deep draft navigation system in the world, extending 2,300 miles from its westernmost point in Duluth, Minnesota, to the Atlantic Ocean.”
Change of Command: The command of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alder changed this week. During the ceremony Thursday, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joanna Nunan, commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District, spoke at the changing of command ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard Duluth Station on Park Point, joined on stage, from left, by Lt.. Daniel Kubasch, new Alder Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Justin Erdman and departing Alder Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Charter Tschirgi. The Coast Guard has a nifty little history of Station Duluth, including that the land was sold to the Guard for $1 in 1866.
Overwhelmed: A story in the Detroit News takes a look at the blessings and curses of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore's apparently unbridled and growing popularity. The influx of tourists has benefitted the coffers of the small town of Munising and its businesses, but it has also caused a strain on the fabric of small-town life.
Another Hot Spot for Visitation: The Superior Hiking Trail Association will benefit from being chosen as a 2018 Leave No Trace Hot Spot. The designation means that in September, trainers sponsored by the Leave No Trace program and Subaru will do a series of sessions to encourage trail users to temper the impact of their use. Among the indicators of increased traffic, and unsustainable use practices, are abandoned dog poo bags (take it with you), illegal campsites (just don’t) and a widened trail tread by people adverse to stepping in mud along the way (put on those mud-ready boots). “Simply put, the SHT is at risk of being loved to death,” the trail association said in a release about the No Trace program. The training sessions will be Sept. 11 at Bent Paddle Brewing in Duluth, Sept. 14 at the Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors and Sept. 15 & 16 at Tettegouche State Park and on the Superior Hiking Trail near Silver Bay. See details online. The association, meanwhile, is creating a new loop trail at Ely Peak in Duluth with a Hoops Ale for a Loop Trail fundraising info session Aug. 1 at Hoops Brewing Taproom in Duluth.
Seeking More Visitors: While some shores of Lake Superior struggle with huge influxes of visitors, others would appreciate additional economic activity. Christina Jung and Kirthana Sasitharan of CBC Thunder Bay report from Terrace Bay, Ontario, that the town is working to expand its economic opportunities beyond the local paper mill, hoping to capitalize on a alluring Lake location and a $3.2 million partnership adding a Parks Canada pavilion, boardwalk and canoe rental businesses near the beach or beside the Aguasabon Falls.
Welcome Squatters: "Came home from a week away to find out we had a new family living on the property," our publisher, Paul Hayden, posted on his Facebook this week. "Mom and Dad fox and their three little kits have moved in. Cute, cute, cute, to say the least. The North Shore is a never-ending delight." And that's certainly true of all our shores!
Help Wanted: Lisa Kaczke of the Duluth News Tribune chats with the head of the local chamber of commerce for Cook County, Minnesota, where seasonal foreign workers have been a staple, aiding the local tourism industry that accounts for 80 percent of the county's economy. “The concern is that, given the national climate regarding immigrants, the H-2B temporary worker visas on which many tourism businesses in Cook County rely is so politically vulnerable,” Chamber Executive Director Jim Boyd told Lisa. Alternatives include more recruiting of workers from the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Photo & graphic credits: Paul L. Hayden; Paul L. Hayden; Lynn Wegner; Konnie LeMay; Dblom Photography; Township of Terrace Bay; Paul L. Hayden.