Dredging to Spawn: Photographer E. Neil Harri posted some great shots this week of the dredging work being done along the Buffalo Reef in Grand Traverse Harbor beside the Keweenaw Peninsula. Petersen Companies Inc., of Minocqua, Wis., was subcontracted by Newt Marine to do the work. According to the U.S. Army Corps, the sand is being placed back on the main pile near Gay, Mich., as a stop gap measure until a long term adaptive management plan is approved by the Buffalo Reef Task Force. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has provided $3.7 million in Great Lakes Initiative Funds for the cleanup being done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “This GLRI funding will help protect one of Lake Superior’s most productive fish spawning areas from encroaching mining waste,” EPA Regional Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Director Cathy Stepp said in an August 2019 release about the work. “Years of collaboration between EPA and its partners have resulted in on-the-ground action that will deliver meaningful results for Lake Superior’s fish population, beach-front communities and fishing and recreational industries.” Stamp sands are a waste product from copper processing that took place in a local mill. "The waste threatens to cover Buffalo Reef, a 2,200- acre reef in Lake Superior that serves as a spawning habitat for lake trout and whitefish," notes the EPA. "Nearly a quarter of the annual lake trout yield from Lake Superior’s Michigan waters comes from within 50 miles of Buffalo Reef." The state of Michigan also approved $3 million for Buffalo Reef projects. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission recently released a 12-minute video about the importance of the Buffalo Reef and copper mining history in the area leading to the stamp-sand contamination.
Water Works: For those keeping a wary eye on the Lake Superior water levels, the relatively dry month of May around the Big Lake neighborhood held some promise. The Lake rose about 2 inches (5 cm.) over the course of the month, reports the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, about half of the usual 4-inch (10-cm.) rise in May. At the beginning of June this week, the Lake is nearly 6 inches (15 cm.) below its record beginning-of-June high level set last year in 2019. It remains more than 10 inches (26 cm.) above its 100-year, long-term average for this time of year. Down Lakes, May proved to be much wetter and Lakes Huron and Michigan rose nearly 4 inches (10 cm.) over the course of the month, while on average the water level rises about 3 inches (8 cm.) in May. Those lakes topped by about 5 inches (13 cm.) the previous record high level set in 1986 for the beginning of June. That's 3 feet (92 cm.) above their 100-year, long-term average for this time of year and 7 inches (18 cm.) above this time last year.
A Tragic Death: A 6-year-old drown at the mouth of the Middle River entering Lake Superior along the Wisconsin shore on Wednesday afternoon. The boy and his 9-year-old sister were with their family wading in the calm waters when the two stepped into a drop off and were lost from sight. The girl was recovered and revived; the boy's body was found later that evening in 7 feet of water. "Boats from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the Wisconsin DNR, and the US Coast Guard assisted in the search using side scan sonar," reports Hunter McCullough of CBS3Duluth.
Painful, But Necessary, Remembrance: On June 15, 1920, three African-American men, wrongly accused of raping a white woman, were dragged from the jail then beaten, tortured and lynched in Duluth by an unfettered, unrepentant and unpunished mob. The city has long struggled with that stain, and in 2003 a memorial plaza was dedicated to the memory of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie near the site of the lynching. The site features figures of the three men and quotations of healing and remembrance from a broad range of world leaders. A board was formed earlier, in 2000, to support the memorial and to organize healing and remembrance events around it. (The plaza floor was spray painted recently but has been restored.) For this 100th year since that horrific event, the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial board had planned major events, including a gathering that hoped to draw 10,000 to the site – reportedly the number in the original mob – but those planned events have been postponed until 2021 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There will be acknowledgement of the death of those men, though, next week with online commemorations by the Minnesota Historical Society. "In the wake of George Floyd’s death and ongoing community unrest, we can look to history to help us build a deeper understanding of this moment – and take inspiration from the stories of the many men and women who have fought for justice and equity," the society wrote in announcing its virtual events. Included in the week are two special events. On Wednesday (June 10) at 7 p.m. a live conversation with Michael Fedo, author of The Lynchings in Duluth and Augsburg History Professor Dr. William Green about the history of African-Americans in Minnesota and how racism has played out in the state over time. On Sunday (June 15) at 12:30 p.m. the society will post a premiere of a compilation video featuring perspectives from Minnesota historians, celebrated authors and prominent community members. Daily from Monday-Sunday, there will be history social media posts on the society's Facebook page and clips from oral history interviews with black Minnesotans who lived in or near Duluth at the time of the lynchings.
Port Report: The Port of Thunder Bay reports a good opening for its grain shipments so far in the 2020 season. In May, more than 1.1 million metric tonnes of Canadian grain traversed the harbour, fed by strong demand for the commodity overseas. According to the port, "Several factors have led to robust movement of prairie wheat and canola through the port since the shipping season opened in March. Many countries are stockpiling amidst the pandemic, increasing demand. Global grain supply has also been impacted by drought in Australia and export restrictions in Russia. Australia, Russia and Canada are among the top exporters of wheat globally." Canadian railways also report high grain movement, the port adds. "Both CN and CP railways have reported grain movement records in recent weeks. Strong grain shipments are anticipated to continue through the summer." The Canadian grain stockpile also is healthy, reflective of 2019 producing the second-highest harvest recorded.
Another Maritime Marker: Today marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (commonly referred to as the "Jones Act"). The main provision of interest for the Seafarers International Union of the bill, named for primary sponsor U.S. Sen. Wesley Jones of Washington state, is its requirement that cargo moved from one domestic port to another domestic port in the United States must be carried aboard a U.S.-crewed, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built and U.S.-owned vessel. According to the SIU, "A 2019 study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Transportation Institute showed the Jones Act is responsible for 650,000 American jobs creating more than $40 billion annually in income. Workers whose jobs are related to the law can be found in all 50 states." The act is not without detractors and a lengthy opinion piece posted by the libertarian think tank Cato Institute calls it "an archaic, burdensome law." Meanwhile, the International Propellor Club posted a video celebrating the 100-year-old law that SIU President Michael Sacco praised as "the most All-American law in existence.”
New Work for an Old Plant: The ailing Bombardier rail coach assembly plant in Thunder Bay just announced new contracts to supply 28 BiLevel commuter rail cars to two transportation authorities in the western United States. The combined value of the contracts is about $108 million (US) and could make work for 300 people. "First introduced in 1978, the BiLevel car is the most popular double-deck commuter rail car in North America and is in operation at 14 transportation authorities across Canada and the United States," the company reported in a press release last week. The company also announced last week that the Thunder Bay plant will ramp up production of portable ventilators, expected to employ about 60 people, according to Sudbury.com. The work is in partnership with O2 Medical Technologies of Brampton, Ont., and requires a "clean room" assembly production. The plant has suffered hundreds of layoffs, currently employing about 470 workers down from 1,100 about 18 months ago, reports Sudbury.com. The Thunder Bay operation started its life in 1909 as the Canadian Car and Foundry or "Can Car."
Eggs-citing: Peregrine falcons seem to be happily reproducing this year, if the Falcon Cams around the Lake are any indicator. On the International Bridge between the Ontario and Michigan Sault Ste. Maries, workers noted three eggs and tweeted a picture. Peregrine nest boxes, installed in 2010, are found on both the U.S. and Canadian bridge arches where you can view the SaultBridge FalCam. The Falconcam for Minnesota Power on the Hibbard Renewable Energy Center in Duluth shows peregrine chicks already in the nest, at least two by our count, and perhaps at least one egg in the peregrine nest on the energy company's Boswell Energy Center near Cohasset, Minn.
Could We Name It Ryan?: A Good Samaritan found a gosling stuck in a drain in Marquette with a sibling who unfortunately died there. No parents were located, and the chick was brought to the U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation Keweenaw Group. After a day of rest, the staff and volunteers discovered a wild Canada goose family with similar-sized goslings. A video shows the orphaned gosling adopted into a new family. Just this week, the Keweenaw rehab group successfully raised $499 for an incubator to keep baby critters warm. The group covers mainly Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon counties.
Looking Good in Plaid: Stormy Kromer in Ironwood, Mich., presented two $9,076.65 supersized checks, one to the local Gogebic Range Health Foundation and one to St. Luke New Life Center in Flint. The donations were part of the cap maker's pledge connected to sales of their Flannel Face Coverings. In this photo taken at their Ironwood site beside the giant cap, Stormy Kromer President Gina Thorsen and company CEO Bob Jacquart join Andrea Newby, Gogebic Range Health Foundation executive director, and John Garske, Gogebic Range Health Foundation board chair, in the check delivery. On its Facebook page, St. Luke New Life Center reviewed the good news of the donation amid the turbulent recent days: "The last few days have been a roller coaster of emotion. Everyday on the way to the Center you can see the reminders of systemic injustice. These days it feels different and honestly we can easily become deflated. Then miracles happen and we are reminded of how when we come together and take a chance on one another great things can happen. Back in 2015, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation introduced us to a company located in Ironwood, MI named Stormy Kromer. They were looking for help manufacturing vests. It is safe to say this relationship has gone far beyond that. Whether it has been hosting us in Ironwood for a week of training - to sourcing fabric for our masks - they are there for us. And then yesterday happened. Wow! We cannot thank you enough!"
Trail Mix: A lot has been going on around the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota. This week, 69-year-old runner Michael Koppy (in photo) completed a fund-raising FKT (fastest known time) attempt along the more than 300-mile trail, starting at the Canadian border and running to the southern terminus at Jay Cooke State Park on the Minnesota-Wisconsin state line. Michael achieved the FKT with the still unofficial time of 5 days, 3 hours and 44 minutes. He also raised, with his matching donation, $15,000 for the Superior Hiking Trail Association, based in Two Harbors. The trail got another boost recently with the release of Superior Hiking Trail Story, by photographer Rudi Hargesheimer. The $34.95 coffee table book published by North Shore Photo Art was reviewed in the current June/July issue of Lake Superior Magazine. In her review, magazine Editor Konnie LeMay wrote, "A long-time premier North Shore photographer, Rudi dedicated his time to the trail as a member of the Superior Hiking Trail Association board from 1990 to 2002, including as board president. Rudi has hiked every mile of the Minnesota-based trail that stretches from Jay Cooke State Park to the U.S.-Canada border. … He brings his intimate connection to the trail and the people for an insider story."
Photo & graphic credits: E. Neil Harri; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Port of Thunder Bay; Bombardier; International Bridge Authority; U.P. Wildlife Rehabilitation Keweenaw Group; Stormy Kromer; Rudi Hargesheimer; Michael Koppy