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It's time
for summer fun!
SUMMER is a time marked by lower streamflow most of the time
(baseflow) punctuated by hours to day-long episodes of intense
thunderstorm rainfall and surges in streamflow. This is also a time
when trees and shrubs leaf out and shade the stream; when aquatic
insects like mayflies, caddisflies and blackflies emerge and take
flight; when the trout are biting; and when people, especially kids,
are spending lots of time at the creeks.
 Watching big summer storms
Summer thunderstorms do a lot more than
just water our gardens. Rain water flows from our yards, parking
lots and streets, through storm sewers, and into Duluth streams and
Lake Superior.
This water can carry a LOT sediments and pollutants
with it. One such storm carried over 12,000 pounds of habitat smothering,
gill fouling, mud past our sensor in Tischer Creek in just a few
hours. Read
more about that storm here.
Not all of the rain water ends up in the creeks. A lot
of the rain that should pass through storm sewers and creeks
into the harbor or lake gets into the sanitary sewers that take
sewage to WLSSD, our wastewater treatment plant, leading to overflows.
This Inflow & Infiltration
problem is going to cost
the City of Duluth and its residents a bunch of money to fix. Read
more about it here.
 Fishing for supper
Duluth streams are filled with possibilities! 12 of the Duluth Streams
are designated Trout Streams. Before you fish, read up on fishing
regulations and consumption advisories. You can find this information,
along with tips on where to go here.
Swimming with friends
Duluth streams are littered with popular swimming holes, and Lake
Superior has many popular swimming beaches. Even though the water
looks clear and pristine, sometimes it can be contaminated with bacteria.
Many Lake Superior Beaches are monitored for high bacteria levels
by the MPCA. Check for swimming advisories here. Swimming holes in
the local streams aren't currently being monitored. A good rule of
thumb is to avoid swimming in the streams for 24 hours after a rainfall.
Summer rains wash contaminants into the streams, and it takes some
time for them to be washed out.
Bugs Bugs
Bugs!
Summer is the time when many aquatic insects emerge from the
water to fly, mate, lay eggs and die. Some can be nasty. Learn to identify some
of these insects here.
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