MN Sea Grant: Superior Waves

On this warm August day, two graduate students from the University of Minnesota in Duluth take to the outdoors to study the water quality of the city's streams. Jeremy Erickson and LaRae Lehto haul equipment down to Tischer Creek to take samples along the stream. They are looking at stream health.

Light rain and cool air blowing off Lake Superior couldn't keep representatives from the Wisconsin DNR's Coastal Management Program and several other agencies from heading out on the water. The group of fifteen set out in four boats to get a closer look at the site nominated for the second freshwater research estuary on the Great Lakes: the St. Louis River, one of the major rivers feeding into Lake Superior.

Beach-goers and swimmers began taking notice of rip currents in Lake Superior about five years ago. The death of 21 year-old Matthew Rheaume while swimming along Minnesota Point (also known as Park Point) in 2003 highlighted the danger rip currents pose in the Twin Ports. National Weather Service Meteorologist Dean Packingham with the Duluth office says the risks prompted them to develop a surf zone forecast for the area.

Seagulls and sightseers crowd Canal Park in Duluth, taking in some of the treasures of Duluth's maritime industry. Among them, a group of 15 teachers file into the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center to learn about the importance of shipping on the Great Lakes. It's part of a five-day course put on by Joan Chadde — coordinator of the Great Lakes Maritime Transportation Teacher Institute.

For the last three years, researchers with the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth have been examining warming trends in Lake Superior. Assistant Professor Jay Austin is among scientists documenting the effects of climate change in the lake.

Great Lakes states have been examining ways to minimize their impact on lake environments. Minnesota and Wisconsin are no exception. The two states are joining forces to develop successful clean or green marina programs to protect Lake Superior. Wisconsin Sea Grant Coastal Engineering Specialist Gene Clark says they started looking at the issue a few years ago.

E. coli bacteria contamination in the Duluth/Superior harbor has been an issue for many years. University of Minnesota Duluth biology professor Randall Hicks is working with researchers to narrow the field for possible causes and pathways of contamination.

Millions of people are drawn to Lake Superior each year to catch a glimpse of its natural beauty. Many in the Northland work to preserve the region's natural resources. But development along the shoreline has been a growing threat to water quality and lands surrounding the lake, according to Ben Van Tassel of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

This marks the fifth year of boat tours on Lake Superior and its shoreline. The "View From the Lake" project is a joint effort between the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Wisconsin--Superior to promote awareness of water quality issues in and around the lake.

Smelt have been around for so long that some may not realize they are an invasive species. Smelt were first stocked into the St. Marys River in 1909 to ensure the success of salmon in the Great Lakes. Don Schreiner, Lake Superior Area Fisheries Supervisor for the Minnesota DNR, says smelt weren't found in Lake Superior until almost thirty years later.