Around the Circle This Week: March 26, 2021

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And They're Off: A tug-barge combination became the first vessel to lock through the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie this Wednesday at noon-ish (ET), seen in photos posted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The tug Laura L. Vanenkevort with barge Joseph H. Thompson became the first through the Poe Lock for the 2021 season. Crew members, seen here with members of the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association, get

hats and other commemorative items for being first. The other view is from the tug-barge as it approached the locks, plus there is video of locking through. There is also a video of its sister vessel, tug Joyce L. VanEnkevort and barge Great Lakes Trader, which were second through the locks; the video is of it loading in Marquette. The MacArthur Lock, the only other lock in operation, will open mid-April. The start was 12 hours ahead of the usual midnight March 25 opening with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responding to a request from the Lake Carrier's Association. In a letter, James H.I. Weakley, president of LCA, pointed out the difficulty of navigating around the lock this time of year in the dark. "We believe a 1200 ET opening on 24 March 2021 provides a safer timeframe for vessels to transit Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary's River,” he wrote.“It facilitates U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) ice breaking prior to and after the initial lock transits. It also may

H. Lee White, which ended up trapped in ice overnight just beyond the locks. "We believe a noon opening last spring could have resulted in more efficient ice breaking and a smoother transit to the loading dock. We hope to avoid a similar situation this spring." The slightly early opening will be a benefit, albeit a small one, to getting iron ore from Lake Superior to steel mills down lakes. “It is worth noting that steel production has increased from the pandemic-induced slump,” Weakley wrote. “Stockpiles should sustain the mills until the March 24th opening, but some mills lack the safety stock from previous years.” A February story by Rajesh Kumar Singh of Reuters noted steel shortages in the United States. “Unfilled orders for steel in the last quarter were at the highest level in five years, while inventories were near a 3-1/2-year low, according to data from the Census Bureau. The benchmark price for hot-rolled steel hit $1,176/ton this month, its highest level in at least 13 years,” Singh wrote. Another piece of good news from the Corps, the Soo Locks webcam for the locks is up and running again after more than a 1 year hiatus.

Meanwhile … The U.S. Army Corps also posted this photo of Soo Locks intern Mana Blas-McLean posing

for a photo in her graduation cap and gown in front of the first ship of the season. Mana will graduate from Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., this spring with a Bachelor’s of Administration Management and a minor in Human Resources. "Mana is finishing her four-year degree in three years and is a member of the Dean’s List," the Corps posted. And now Mana has a great grad shot, to boot. Congrats!

Twin Ports Start: In the Twin Ports of Duluth-Superior, the first freighter out for the season was the Burns Harbor with a load of taconite pellets. It left through the naturally formed Superior Entry in Superior, about 2:30 p.m or so on March 23 (seen departing in this photo by David Schauer). The first freighter out under Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge was the Paul R. Tregurtha out later that night. The vessels that overwintered in the Twin Ports this year were: Honorable James L. Oberstar and the Lee A. Tregurtha in Fraser Shipyards in Superior, the Paul R. Tregurtha in Midwest Energy Resources Company and the Burns Harbor at the Enbridge dock in Superior.

Meanwhile … We asked Jayson Hron, director of Communication and Marketing for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, to weigh in on the freighter accident blocking the Suez Canal and whether it ultimately affects Lake Superior maritime traffic. "Any disruption this significant (hundreds of ships) is bad for global trade," says Jayson. "Initially, we don’t expect a major effect here in Duluth-Superior, but the longer this Suez Canal blockage continues, the more likely it becomes that our port could feel the effects. Primarily, the blockage could affect intermodal container supply, which is already strained worldwide. With fewer containers in circulation, costs and shipping times increase. Successful global trade relies on a cost effective and predictable supply chain to get goods to market, so hopefully the Suez Canal situation is resolved soon and we avoid any domino effect that would reach Great Lakes ports and regional businesses."

Thunder Bay Port Start: The Port of Thunder Bay, which logged a record-breaking year for grain shipments in 2020 despite the pandemic, also started its season this week. The winter layovers at the Keefer Terminal were the Algoma Strongfield, the Algoma Guardian and the Frontenac. TBNewswatch reported on the port activity, including that the first grain load departure was likely for Tuesday. The port authority asked its Facebook followers when they thought the first saltie (ocean-going vessel) might arrive and posted this image of a saltie near the Sleeping Giant done by Capt. Nathan Dawson. The first saltie in 2020 came in April 10. Meanwhile … The U.S. Coast Guard announced an end to Operation Taconite for the year, the name given to ice-breaking operations that include Thunder Bay, Duluth, etc. "In the 95 days (21 Dec.-26 March) of the 2021 Domestic Icebreaking Season, the eight ice-breaking assets assigned to Op TACONITE combined to deliver 468 hours of ice-breaking assistance to the benefit of 109 vessel transits; 19 of these movements (5 U.S., 14 Canadian) required direct ice-breaking assistance to ensure commercial vessel safety, reported the USCG. "These same ice-breaking assets put forth an additional 1,600 hours of preventative ice-breaking support to establish and maintain tracks in the ice-hampered waterways of western Lake Superior, the Straits of Mackinac, Green Bay, Georgian Bay, and the St Marys River. It is estimated more than 2 million tons of dry bulk cargoes were assisted during the 95 days of 2021 Domestic Icebreaking Season. This translates to roughly $77 million dollars of cargo critical to power generation, industrial productivity and public safety, aided during the period of ice cover."

Respectable Folk: Two winners of this week the 9th annual "respect. Award" were announced for Thunder Bay. Community leader Terry Bannon (left) and Bay Village Coffee (owners Gary Mack and Alan Forbes) received awards for their efforts "promoting attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that demonstrate respect." The announcement continues, quoting Jeff Upton, chair of Thunder Bay Crime Prevention and a member of the working group for the awards: "We are so pleased to honour two very deserving recipients with this year’s respect. Award for their empowerment of others by leading with compassion, dedication and respect." According to the release, "Terry, a well-respected elder of Fort William First Nation, has dedicated her life to helping families in her home community. She is a leader who supports people across the life cycle, from young children to seniors. She believes that culture will heal her people and as such, has spearheaded numerous initiatives to teach and share the sacred teachings far and wide. She has hosted workshops and events that empower youth to get involved in their culture, as well as to get active. Terry organized baseball and hockey games in her community, all the while ensuring everyone receives equipment to play. Through her ongoing work, she continues to find opportunities to improve the health, safety and well-being of children, youth and families in and around the community. Bay Village Coffee … provides a safe and inclusive place for everyone to “espresso” themselves. While being a fairly new business in Thunder Bay, Bay Village Coffee recognized early on the importance of giving back, and as such, they’ve led successful fundraisers for children and families, cardiovascular health, and equity and human rights. They employ students and youth, providing opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience and skills as they grow in the community." Find a video about the winners.

Slow Down for Salamanders: The blue-spotted salamander has friends in Marquette, which is where the city recently closed, in cooperation with the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) Biology Department, a portion of Peter White Drive in Presque Isle Park to protect the amphibians annual migration. (It's Tyler Penrod of SWP who took this photo.) "The southwest bend of Peter White Drive from Moosewood Nature Center to the gate north of the pavilion will close to vehicular traffic daily at 6 p.m. from March 15th to April 15th or until the completion of the migration," the city noted. "Road barricades will be placed and removed daily to prevent vehicular traffic use of the migration area. Foot traffic is permitted in the area during regular park hours." A story this week by Doug Garrison of Word on the Street connects with Eli Bieri, the NMU student who noticed a problem with salamanders, coming out in spring to mate and lay eggs, being squished by traffic. "I saw hundreds of salamanders being hit by cars. As somebody who is passionate about amphibians, I wanted to change that," Eli told Doug. The story of the Presque Isle salamanders has legs, apparently. The Detroit Free Press did a story on them by Keith Matheny that's been picked up in other publications, including USA Today.

Bird Condos: Talk about a room with a view … peregrine falcons could pick this nest box on the Quincy Mine in Hancock for a great view of the twin towns of Houghton-Hancock. It's hoped that this site, plus another at Michigan Technological University, will replace the nest box that has been removed from the

Portage Lift Bridge between the two cities because of bridge work. (This Michigan DNR photo shows a crew gathering around the peregrine falcon nest box recently installed recently on top of Michigan Tech's Electrical Energy Resources building.) The box on the lift bridge was first placed in 2013. Falcons already have been seen hanging out near the bridge, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. "Despite the removal of the nest boxes, a pair of falcons has been sighted at the bridge again this year. They may be attempting to establish a nest elsewhere on the structure. If this happens, MDOT will attempt to minimize disturbance to the nesting area from bridge operations." Falcon couples have produced more than 20 chicks (falconettes?) since the box program started. Copper Country Audubon sponsors falcams, one for the Michigan Tech site and for the Quincy Mine site.

Bearly Spring: KBJR6 shared a photo from Amanda Bergstedt of Superior that shows some recent visitors

there. That means the Minnesota DNR's press release on Monday – "Prevent conflicts with bears with these spring tips" – is well timed. To avoid bear conflicts, the DNR recommends against feeding the birds during "living with bears" webpage with more ideas and did-you-know facts. (Did you know bears can consume 12,000 to 20,000 calories a day to prepare for hibernation? That’s the equivalent of six to seven pounds of black oil sunflower seed or about 700 to 800 acorns.) The Wisconsin DNR has a downloadable PDF on the same topic.

Photo & graphic credits: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; VanEnkevort Tug & Barge Inc.; USACE; David Schauer; Capt. Nathan Dawson/Port of Thunder Bayrespect. Award; Tyler Penrod/Superior Watershed Partnership; Amanda Bergstedt; Wisconsin DNR; Michigan DNR

Around the Circle This Week editor: Konnie LeMay