|
|
The days
are getting shorter
Fall is a wonderful time to explore Duluth Streams
Leaves, leaves, leaves! Everywhere you look, their bright fall hues
fill up your senses. Fall is a great time for exploring Duluth's
parks and trails; it's also a time for readying your house and yard
for the upcoming winter season. Read on to find the best places to
explore AND to learn how you can easily alter your fall cleanup habits
to protect Duluth Streams.
 Explore the North
Woods
Brightly colored leaves
are certainly the highlight of autumn in Minnesota. Find out about
some of the hiking trails in Duluth here.
As you wander along, you might notice that water levels are lower
than earlier in the summer. Rainfall levels in Duluth
are highest in the months of August and September, and drop off dramatically
in October. This data can be viewed in the Climate
section of the
website.
If you are trying to time your outings to take advantage of the best
colors, visit the following sites for up-to-date reports on the fall
colors:
Minnesota
DNR fall color report for leaves, grasses and wildflowers
Minnesota
Fall Tours from the MN Office of Tourism
Fall
Color Tours from the Minnesota Northshore of Lake Superior
Guide
Check out the Hawk Migration
Planning a fall vistit to Amity
Creek? Why not wander up to Hawk Ridge along the way? This
natural viewing area is part of the southern migration path of
many raptors. The raptors fly southwest along the northern shore
of Lake Superior, to avoid crossing Lake Superior. They finally
turn south in the Hawk Ridge area. Learn more at the following
websites:
Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve
eBird
Fall Cleanup
Plan on spiffing up the yard with a good raking?
Keep leaves and other debris
out of the street; it may
eventually find its way to the local stream, transported by
rainwater after a storm. So many leaves aren't supposed to end
up in the streams!
In the forest, only a small fraction of leaves naturally drop straight into
the creeks. Excess leaves from our yards add excess particulate material (see
erosion) and also contribute organic material that rots, and in doing so consumes
oxygen. During low flow periods (such as later on in the winter) this can be
a significant stress to aquatic critters and fish.
Leaves
and grass can go in your backyard compost pile or bag them and bring
them to the WLSSD yard waste composting site.
Click here for
hours of operation.
DON'Ts for fall raking
 |
 |
| DON'T rake
or blow fallen leaves onto the street. They may eventually
find their way to the local stream, transported by
rainwater after a storm. So many leaves aren't supposed
to end up in the streams! |
|
DOs for fall raking
 |
 |
 |
| DO collect yard waste
for proper disposal |
DO bag leaves and bring
them to the WLSSD yard composting site |
DO compost
leaves in a compost bin or in a wooded area of your
yard |
|
|
