Warmed Waters: It's been a toasty summer for the waters of the Great Lakes. NOAA's Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis for the beginning of September showed surface water temperatures ranging from a low of about 60°F in the coldest portion of Lake Superior to a high of more than 80°F in Lake Erie. Four buoys set in the western part of the Big Lake by the University of Minnesota Duluth that send real-time data showed surface temperatures today hovering around 62° to 67° F. Portions of the southern shore this week reached 70°+ (good swimming temps should you be so inclined). Looking at the air temperatures in Duluth also shows a definite warm trend. "This has been a warm summer. In fact, we are on track for 2021 to be the warmest on record in Duluth," meteorologist Bryan J. Howell of the National Weather Service's Duluth office informed us. "Records for Duluth go back to 1874 and for the June-July-August summer period, 2021 currently ranks No. 1 for the warmest. Looking at days where the high reached 80°F at Duluth, we usually average 27 per year. So far 2021 has 50. Only two years have had more: 1988 had 52 and 2018 had 52. There is still a chance we could meet or beat those. 90°F days have been above normal this year as well. We usually see two per year on average and have recorded four this year." So while summer is ending, we may still have warm days into September and a slightly longer growing season for our gardens.
Here are a few illustrative graphics from NOAA (and we added the arrow):
On a funny note: And a cautionary tale for those surfing the internet for info … we came across what at first glance looked like reputable information on watertemperature.net until we spotted this line: "Lake Superior is a town close to Great Lakes." Not surprising perhaps, it turns out that website is defunct for the moment. Surfer beware!
Nationwide Response: Much of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness reopened this week except for the John Ek/Whelp fire closures and entry
points associated with the Greenwood Fire and Gunflint Trail Closure. Also reopening today is camping on Superior National Forest lands outside of developed campgrounds, including backcountry sites and dispersed camping. The forest managers also lifted restrictions on heavy equipment, allowing contractors back to work during normal business hours. Today at 6 p.m., the newly in charge Northern Rockies Team 3 Incident Management Team will host a public informational fire-update meeting at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland. The Northern Rockies team took over Thursday from the Eastern Area Gold Team, showing both the scope of response and duration of the fires in northern Minnesota. As of Wednesday, the the Greenwood Fire had covered 26,028 acres with 37% containment and the John Ek and Whelp Fires in the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness were 1,350 acres and 50 acres, respectively, with no containment. The Eastern Area Gold Team, coordinated out of Milwaukee, was relieved after a 14-day shift by the Northern Rockies Team, coordinated out of Missoula, Mont. (Teams get 2 days off after 14 days on.) Firefighters have come from all over the country, as far as Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Colorado. There were 493 fire personnel on the Greenwood Fire on Thursday. There are 10 Geographic Area Coordination Centers (see map) across the country, and at one point in July, all 52 Incident Management Teams were deployed because of the mass numbers of fires this year. Although they try to stick within region if possible, IMTs can be sent anywhere the need arises in the country. The longer a fire's duration, the more likely teams from elsewhere will need to pitch in. In Minnesota, area residents have been generous in thanking and donating to the crews … so much so that the U.S. Forest Service asked for a halt to the generosity. It had too much food to store properly and the overflow was attracting bears. The raging wildfires in the BWCAW and the Superior National Forest have caused closures in the two protected areas. Outfitting business dependent on the August/September rentals have faced a hard end of the season, according to a story by Reece Lindquist of Fox21. A number of homes and outbuildings also have been destroyed by the fires.
Such a Waste: The state of Wisconsin took a look at its landfill waste and came up with interesting conclusions about what is filling the landfills. For the
2020-2021 Wisconsin State Waste Characterization Study, crews hand sorted 398 samples of municipal solid waste and visually inspected 659 samples of construction and demolition debris. What they discovered is that composting – both at home and perhaps as communities – could significantly reduce what gets dumped. Based on its samples, the DNR estimated 2020 tonnage of top three categories to be 1,322,200 tons of organics (includes wasted food, food scraps and yard waste); 924,900 tons of paper (includes cardboard, compostable paper - e.g. toilet paper - and office paper) and 745,600 tons of plastic (includes plastic bottles, plastic wrap and other flexible films). (Many communities now collect recyclables separately.) With organics making up about one-third of landfill waste from single- and multi-family residences, the study suggests that shopping to avoid wasted leftovers, storing food to the full extent of its life and composting food scraps and yard waste could reduce our garbage. Other interesting tidbits (if that's the word to use with garbage) showed the impacts of recycling opportunities, including an 85% decrease in landfilled TVs and computer monitors since a 2009 study.
Many Hands Make a Light Canoe: The Duluth Folk School sponsored a great boat-building opportunity this summer, partnering Men as Peacemakers
with Boys & Girls Club of the Northland plus a member of Urban Boatbuilders in St. Paul. Over a series of sessions starting in July, the young folk were taught to use block planes, spokeshaves, sand paper in bulding of the canoe … including how to bend wood with steam. The Canoe Building Program, according to the Duluth Folk School website, "is part of our 'Building Opportunities and Assets Together' program, which provides under-represented and under-served area youth the opportunity to build a canoe. By building canoes, we are teaching young people craftsmanship skills, discipline, and work habits, and helping to bolster self-confidence. Canoe building connects youth with our local rivers, lakes, and the wonderful opportunities and lessons of our natural world – an important teaching strategy that too many children are missing. Building canoes integrates relationship-building with adult volunteers who provide support and serve as role models." The canoe was completed in August and launched on Aug. 31. The young people who made the canoe got the chance to paddle it around on the St. Louis River. A fine-looking canoe and a fine program.
Bus, Bus, Boat: You can barely see the boat in the back there, but the Alexander Henry, the retired Canadian Coast Guard cutter turned museum boat in Thunder Bay, has been joined by two land-based siblings. These Brill Trolleys are in colours representing the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William public transport back in the day. The city of Thunder Bay helped the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 966 acquire the two trolleys in 2001, a project known as Buddies of the Brill, and eventually they came to the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society, which grew out of the buddies. Brill trolleys were made in what was then Fort William (now part of Thunder Bay) after World War II at the Canadian Car Foundry. Tourism Thunder Bay posted images of the grand opening and dedication of the buses. Up next, according to the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society: Saving the historic tug James Whalen, reports Gary Rinne for TBNewswatch.
A Dozen Eggs to Go?: Helping fish farmers raise yellow perch from eggs to marketable size is the goal of a new project started this month through the University of Minnesota Sea Grant program. Using a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), researchers hope to develop producer-scale methods for raising the popular perch. “Many Minnesota fish farmers are looking for a species that has a much higher market value than tilapia; yellow perch might fill that niche,” Amy Schrank, Minnesota Sea Grant's fisheries and aquaculture extension educator and the project lead, said in an announcement. “Minnesota Sea Grant has been actively engaged with Minnesota fish farmers since 2017 and raising yellow perch is one of the problems they asked us for help with." According to Sea Grant, yellow perch, also known as lake perch, has a mild, sweet flavor with firm, flaky white flesh. They are highly sought after by ice anglers, according to the Minnesota DNR. Perhaps we'll be fishing for them on store shelves in the not-too-distant future.
An Excuse to Buy Fudge: As if anyone needed more motivation to buy fudge during a last summer visitation to a Lake Superior shore … Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Duluth has launched its annual “Fudge for Troops” promotion throughout September. When you buy a pound of fudge in the Canal Park shop, the Chocolate Factory, in partnership with the Lake Superior Chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America, will send a pound to U.S. military personnel from the Duluth area who are serving overseas. Store owners Debbie and Michael Bolen, said in a release announcing the program, “This is a continuation of a very popular promotion that we started in 2010. Customers can enjoy a sweet experience and support our troops. It will be a small way for us to show some appreciation to the troops who do so much for all of us.” The sweet packages will be sent out in time for the holiday season.
Photo & graphic credits: NOAA's Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis; Superior National Forest; Wisconsin DNR; Geographic Area Coordination Centers; Duluth Folk School; Tourism Thunder Bay; Minnesota Sea Grant; Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Around the Circle This Week editor: Konnie LeMay